Danny Hillis
Daniel Hillis | |
|---|---|
Hillis in 2014 | |
| Born | William Daniel Hillis September 25, 1956 |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, PhD) |
| Spouse |
Taylor Milsal (m. 2019) |
| Awards | Dan David Prize (2002) Grace Murray Hopper Award (1989) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer Science Computer Engineering |
| Institutions | Thinking Machines Walt Disney Imagineering Applied Invention |
| Thesis | The Connection Machine (1985) |
| Doctoral advisor | Marvin Minsky Gerald Jay Sussman Claude Shannon |
William Daniel Hillis (born September 25, 1956) is an American inventor, entrepreneur, and computer scientist, who pioneered parallel computers and their use in artificial intelligence. He founded Thinking Machines Corporation, a parallel supercomputer manufacturer, and subsequently was Vice President of Research and Disney Fellow at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Hillis was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2001 for advances in parallel computers, parallel software, and parallel storage.
More recently, Hillis co-founded Applied Minds, and Applied Invention, an interdisciplinary group of engineers, scientists, and artists.