Ellis Horowitz: From Groceries to Gigahertz
Ellis Horowitz recounts his journey from a humble childhood living over a bug-infested grocery store in New York to becoming a pivotal figure in computer science at USC. Starting his career during the early days of computer science, he faced a critical decision between industry and academia, ultimately choosing to advance his studies at the University of Wisconsin amidst the fervor of student revolts and Vietnam War protests.
After earning his Ph.D. in 1969, he joined the nascent computer science department at Cornell before moving to USC in the mid-1970s. At USC, Horowitz played a crucial role in integrating the research-driven Information Sciences Institute (ISI) with the academic rigor of the campus. Known for his demanding interview style, he recruited and developed a talented team that would go on to make significant contributions to the field. His story is a testament to the dynamic evolution of computer science over five decades, from mainframes and punch cards to the modern era of cloud computing.
