Northwestern Computer Science Announces New Named Professorships
Branden Ghena was named the McCormick Advisory Council Professor and Joshua DeAndria was appointed as the Pioneer Professor of Practice
Northwestern Engineering’s Branden Ghena has been named the McCormick Advisory Council Professor, and Joshua DeAndria was appointed as the Pioneer Professor of Practice, effective September 1.
“We are deeply grateful to the donors for their generosity and vision in creating these professorships,” said Anastasia Kurdia, assistant chair of computer science and professor of instruction. “Their support allows us to recognize extraordinary faculty and, importantly, to amplify their impact on our students and our field.”
McCormick Advisory Council Professor
Ghena, who joined the University in fall 2020, is the McCormick Advisory Council Professor and associate professor of instruction in computer science at the McCormick School of Engineering.
“Branden’s work spans operating systems, embedded devices, wireless networking, and sensing, giving students a perspective that connects fundamental computer science concepts with the physical systems that surround us,” Kurdia said. “He has had an extraordinary impact on our students and on computer science education at Northwestern, bringing remarkable energy, creativity, and technical depth to his teaching.”
Ghena won Northwestern Engineering's Cole-Higgins Award for Excellence in Teaching this year and in 2022, when he was also named the Department of Computer Science Instructor of the Year.
A computer systems researcher, Ghena specializes in resource-constrained embedded hardware, software, and networking. He investigates networking protocols such as Bluetooth Low Energy, LoRaWAN, and LTE-M, which are capable of supporting various Internet of Things communication needs. He is also a developer for the Tock embedded operating system.
Supported by an anonymous alum, the McCormick Advisory Council Professorship is a new position designed to elevate teaching excellence and advance innovative pedagogical approaches.
Pioneer Professor of Practice
DeAndria, who joined the Northwestern Computer Science faculty of instruction team in 2024 as a clinical assistant professor after serving as an adjunct assistant professor, is the Pioneer Professor of Practice. Supported by the generosity of an anonymous donor, this position is designed to equip students with industry-relevant practical and transferable skills.
“Joshua brings an extraordinarily interdisciplinary perspective to computer science, combining training and experience in medicine and electrical and computer engineering with expertise in machine learning,” Kurdia said. “In a few short years, he has made tremendous contributions to our students and to our educational mission.”
DeAndria instructs computer science courses as well as supports Northwestern Engineering’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program and the MBAi program offered jointly with the Kellogg School of Management.
DeAndria’s research interests lie at the intersection of machine learning (ML), data mining/data liquidation, wearable devices, and behavioral science. He investigates ambient data collection and just-in-time adaptive interventions, with practical applications in nutrition and dietary habits.
As a lead data scientist with consulting company Edge Analytics, DeAndria contributed to ML infrastructure and models for a variety of Fortune 100 companies. He has developed models for ML accelerated drug design, created algorithms for low-resource wearable sensors, and optimized smart electric grids using advanced modeling methods.