PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Mykel Kochenderfer

Also known as Mykel J. Kochenderfer

Mykel Kochenderfer is a Stanford researcher who develops algorithms for autonomous systems that make decisions under uncertainty. He completed computer science degrees at Stanford in 2003 and a doctorate at Edinburgh in 2006, then worked on aircraft collision avoidance at MIT Lincoln Laboratory before joining Stanford’s faculty in 2013. His 2017 Reluplex paper introduced a method for verifying deep neural networks, and its authors shared the 2024 CAV Award. He wrote Decision Making under Uncertainty in 2015 and coauthored Algorithms for Decision Making in 2022. As of October 2026, he is an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics and of computer science by courtesy, a senior fellow at Stanford HAI, and director of the Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory.

Works
612
Citations
15,718
h-index
59
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 27 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2003–2006

    Computer science and informatics degrees

    He earns bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science at Stanford University in 2003. In 2006, he completes his doctorate at the University of Edinburgh, studying at the Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour in the School of Informatics.

  2. 2013

    Joining the Stanford faculty

    He joins the Stanford faculty in 2013. Before this move, he works at MIT Lincoln Laboratory on airspace modeling and aircraft collision avoidance.

  3. 2015

    Decision Making under Uncertainty

    In 2015, he writes Decision Making under Uncertainty: Theory and Application. The book explains computational methods for decisions under uncertainty, with applications that include speech recognition and aircraft collision avoidance.

  4. 2017

    Reluplex verifies neural networks

    In 2017, he coauthors Reluplex: An Efficient SMT Solver for Verifying Deep Neural Networks with Guy Katz, Clark Barrett, David Dill, and Kyle Julian. The team develops a method for checking properties of deep neural networks and evaluates it on a prototype neural network implementation of ACAS Xu for unmanned aircraft.

  5. 2018

    Directing Stanford AI centers

    In 2018, he becomes co-director of Stanford’s Center for AI Safety and director of the SAIL-Toyota Center for AI Research.

  6. September 2018

    A collision avoidance standard

    He helps develop the next generation of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, which becomes an international standard in September 2018. This work applies his AI research to preventing aircraft collisions.

  7. 2019

    Algorithms for Optimization

    With T. A. Wheeler, he coauthors Algorithms for Optimization in 2019, published by MIT Press.

  8. 2022

    Algorithms for Decision Making

    In 2022, he coauthors Algorithms for Decision Making, published by MIT Press. The textbook covers optimal decisions under uncertainty and provides algorithms in the Julia programming language.

  9. 2024

    A shared CAV Award

    In 2024, he shares the Computer Aided Verification (CAV) Award with Clark Barrett, David Dill, Kyle Julian, and Guy Katz for their 2017 Reluplex paper on verifying deep neural networks.

  10. As of October 2026

    Professor and Stanford lab director

    As of October 2026, he is an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics, an associate professor of computer science by courtesy, and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. He directs the Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory, which develops algorithms for robust decision making in uncertain environments, including air traffic control and unmanned aircraft.

Career

  1. Since 2018Stanford UniversityCo-director of the Center for AI Safety
  2. Since 2018Stanford UniversityDirector of the SAIL-Toyota Center for AI Research
  3. NowStanford UniversityAssociate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Associate Professor of Computer Science by courtesy
  4. NowStanford UniversitySenior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI
  5. NowStanford UniversityDirector of the Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory
  6. 2022–2026Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
  7. 2022–2026Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  8. 2021–2022BlackRock
  9. 2019–2026American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  10. From 2013Stanford UniversityFaculty Member

Education

  1. 2006University of EdinburghPhD in Informatics
  2. 2003Stanford UniversityBachelor's degree in computer science
  3. 2003Stanford UniversityMaster's degree in computer science

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Checked career sources: cs.stanford.edu, profiles.stanford.edu.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Mykel Kochenderfer yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Mykel J. Kochenderfer | Stanford University, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics mykel.kochenderfer.com. Checked 27 October 2026.
  2. Textbooks | Mykel J. Kochenderfer mykel.kochenderfer.com. Checked 27 October 2026.
  3. Reluplex: An Efficient SMT Solver for Verifying Deep Neural Networks arxiv.org. Checked 27 October 2026.
  4. Mykel Kochenderfer's Profile | Stanford Profiles profiles.stanford.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  5. Spotlight: Mykel Kochenderfer | Stanford University School of Engineering engineering.stanford.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  6. Mykel Kochenderfer | Computer Science cs.stanford.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  7. SIGLOG Monthly 252 lics.siglog.org. Checked 27 October 2026.