CS Alumnus Pioneers Software Engineering, Named 2024 ACM Fellow

Abhik Roychoudhury, a 2000 graduate of Stony Brook University's Department of Computer Science
Abhik Roychoudhury, Stony Brook University Department of Computer Science Class of '00.

Abhik Roychoudhury, a 2000 graduate of Stony Brook University's Department of Computer Science, has been named a 2024 ACM Fellow for his significant contributions to software testing and analysis. This recognition highlights Roychoudhury's notable impact in the field since his time at Stony Brook.

Currently serving as Provost's Chair Professor of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Roychoudhury has made substantial advancements in developing trustworthy software systems. His research group's innovative work on automated program repair earned them an ICSE Most Influential Paper Award, demonstrating the long-lasting impact of their contributions.

Roychoudhury's approach to automated program repair uses symbolic execution to infer desired properties of patches, resulting in higher-quality repairs. This method has proven particularly effective in addressing security vulnerabilities while preserving functionality, marking a significant improvement over previous approaches.

"Abhik's recognition as a 2024 ACM Fellow is a testament to the caliber of graduates our department produces," said Samir Das, chair of the Department of Computer Science at Stony Brook University. "His impactful work exemplifies the innovative spirit we foster at Stony Brook."

Beyond research, Roychoudhury has taken on leadership roles in the software engineering community. He serves as the Steering Committee Chair for the ACM International Conference on the Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE) and recently became Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM).

"My time at Stony Brook University laid the foundation for my research career," Roychoudhury said. "The rigorous training and supportive environment prepared me well for the challenges in software engineering research."

Roychoudhury and his team at NUS are currently working on an exciting project called AutoCodeRover, which aims to develop a Large Language Model (LLM) agent for software maintenance tasks. This project combines LLM capabilities with testing and analysis tools for autonomous program improvement, potentially revolutionizing software development practices.