Alan S. Willsky
Alan Willsky is an emeritus professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, where his research spans machine learning, graphical models, estimation, and statistical signal and image processing. He earned an SB in 1969 and a PhD in 1973, joined MIT’s faculty in 1973, and received the Eckman Award in 1975. From 1998 to 2002, he served on the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board; his paper on multiresolution Markov models received the IEEE Fink Prize Paper Award in 2004. He directed MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems from 2009 through June 2014. The IEEE Signal Processing Society named him a 2013 Society Award recipient, and he received the IEEE Jack Kilby Signal Processing Medal in 2019.
- Works
- 952
- Citations
- 38,122
- h-index
- 88
- Rankings
- #76 by last-author papers
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 18 October 2026.
Timeline
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1969–1973
Degrees and MIT faculty role
He earns an S.B. in 1969 and a Ph.D. in 1973 from MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He joins the MIT faculty in 1973.
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1975
The Donald P. Eckman Award
He receives the 1975 Donald P. Eckman Award from the American Automatic Control Council.
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1998–2002
An Air Force advisory role
He serves on the United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board from 1998 through 2002.
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2004
A multiresolution paper
In 2004, he receives the IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award for “Multiresolution Markov Models for Signal and Image Processing.” The paper describes a framework for multiresolution processing of signals and images. His research includes estimation and inference, statistical signal and image processing, graphical models, and machine learning.
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2009–2014
Directing MIT LIDS
He directs MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems from 2009 through June 2014.
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2013
A signal processing award
The IEEE Signal Processing Society names him among its 2013 Society Award recipients for contributions to probabilistic modeling and the development and application of multiresolution statistical methods.
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2019
The Jack S. Kilby Medal
He wins the IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal in 2019.
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As of October 2026
Professor emeritus at MIT
He is the Edwin Sibley Webster Professor of EECS, emeritus, at MIT.
Career
- Since 1973Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyEdwin Sibley Webster Professor of EECS, emeritus, Director
- 2015–2020Systems and Technology Research
- 2004–2007MIT CSAIL
- 1998–2002United States Department of the Air ForceBoard member
- 1988–1991Inria
Education
Most-cited works
- A sparse signal reconstruction perspective for source localization with sensor arrays
- A survey of design methods for failure detection in dynamic systems
- Analytical redundancy and the design of robust failure detection systems
- Rank-Sparsity Incoherence for Matrix Decomposition
- The Convex Geometry of Linear Inverse ProblemsWith Benjamin Recht
Colleagues
- Jeffrey H. ShapiroMassachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973–2026
Barbara H. LiskovMassachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973–2026- Silvio MicaliMassachusetts Institute of Technology, 1983–2026
- Nick HarveyMIT CSAIL, 2004–2007
Kristen GraumanMIT CSAIL, 2004–2006- Gary G. YenUnited States Department of the Air Force, 1998–2002
Sources and credits
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