Visualizing Excellence: IEEE Recognizes Klaus Mueller

The Department of Computer Science is proud to announce that the prestigious IEEE VGTC Visualization Academy has a new member at Stony Brook University, computer science Professor Klaus Mueller.

Referred to as the “visualization technology hall of fame,” earning the distinction of Academy member highlights the accomplishments of research leaders of the field of visualization. The acknowledgement of Mueller’s impact on visualization research and education is especially significant because members are nominated by their peers and in 2021 only four people from around the world were selected for the honor. 

According to IEEE, the 2021 Academy members were chosen based on the following Academy criteria:

  • Cumulative and momentous contributions to research and/or development
  • Broader influence on the field, the community, and on the work of others
  • Significant service and/or active participation in the community

When sharing the exciting news with his Stony Brook colleagues, Mueller said, “IEEE is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity and being appointed as an Academy member confirms that that I have done the same throughout my career.”

Starting his career as an Ohio buckeye, Mueller earned a PhD in computer science from The Ohio State University. In addition to being a professor at SBU, Mueller is a senior scientist at the Computational Science Initiative at Brookhaven National Lab and he is co-founder of the firm Akai Kaeru LLC. Having served as the chair of the computer science department and as the former VP for Academic Affairs and Finance at SUNY Korea, Mueller’s influence in the field spans the globe.  

Focused on visual analytics, explainable AI, data science, computational imaging, virtual reality, cognitive computer graphics, and high-performance computing, Mueller’s research was kick started early on with an NSF CAREER award and his NSF research continued in his role as Co-PI on the 1.5 billion pixel immersive gigapixel display project, the Reality Deck. Additional accolades for Mueller include the SUNY Chancellor Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, and in his role as an inductee of the National Academy of Inventors.

To date, he has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, which have been cited more than 11,000. His publication, Transferring color to greyscale images has been cited 1,149 times. Mueller is also a member of Stony Brook’s Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS).

As a senior IEEE member, Mueller’s roles have included everything from speaking at IEEE conferences and organizing tutorials to serving as the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. He has truly made it a mission to be impactful and promote IEEE’s initiatives.

"Considered the highest and most prestigious honor in the field of visualization, the Academy recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to the field of visualization. It is quite impressive to now have two IEEE Academy members [Ari Kaufman previously] in the department,” said Samir Das, professor and chair of the computer science department.   

Congratulations Klaus, on this well-deserved honor!