Ellen Vitercik

I am an Assistant Professor at Stanford University, jointly appointed in the Management Science and Engineering and Computer Science departments.

My research spans machine learning, algorithm design, and discrete and combinatorial optimization, including the interface between economics and computation. I am especially interested in using machine learning for discrete optimization and algorithmic reasoning; see my course on the subject.

Before joining Stanford, I was a Miller fellow at UC Berkeley, hosted by Michael Jordan and Jennifer Chayes. I received a PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University, where I was advised by Nina Balcan and Tuomas Sandholm.

My research has been recognized by a Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Early Career Fellowship and an NSF CAREER award. My thesis won the SIGecom Doctoral Dissertation Award, the CMU School of Computer Science Distinguished Dissertation Award, and the Honorable Mention Victor Lesser Distinguished Dissertation Award.

Miscellaneous information:

• I pronounce my last name VIH-ter-sik.
• People often ask me about my tiny phone, which I’ve used and loved for the past five years.
• I grew up in the beautiful town of Lincoln, Vermont.