Ness Shroff

Ness Shroff is a researcher whose work connects machine learning and network optimization with wireless systems. He earned a PhD at Columbia in 1994, began at Purdue, and joined Ohio State in 2007 after leading Purdue's wireless center. In 2017, he coauthored an information-directed sampling paper for graph-feedback bandits; since 2021, he has directed AI-EDGE, which advances AI for future wireless networks. Ohio State's AI(X) Hub began in 2025 under his leadership; as of October 2026, he is an Ohio Eminent Scholar and professor of computer science and engineering and directs the Hub.

Now at: NSF AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence
Works: 660
Citations: 21,494
h-index: 70
Rankings: #91 by last-author papers
Badges: Loyal

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

1994

A Columbia PhD and Purdue post

He earns a PhD from Columbia University in 1994 and joins Purdue University as an assistant professor immediately afterward.
2003–2004

Professor and wireless center director

At Purdue, he becomes professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2003 and director of the university-wide Center for Wireless Systems and Applications (CWSA) in 2004. His research addresses machine learning, network optimization, stochastic control and algorithmic design.
2007–2012

Ohio State and Tsinghua

In July 2007, he joins Ohio State's ECE and CSE departments and holds the Ohio Eminent Scholar Chaired Professorship of Networking and Communications. From 2009 to 2012, he serves as a guest chaired professor of wireless communications at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
2014

An INFOCOM Achievement Award

He receives IEEE INFOCOM's Achievement Award in 2014 for his work on scheduling and resource allocation in wireless networks.
2017

Graph-feedback bandit learning

In 2017, he coauthors “Information Directed Sampling for Stochastic Bandits with Graph Feedback” with Fang Liu and Swapna Buccapatnam. Its graph-aware sampling policies use feedback from related actions and achieve Bayesian regret bounds that scale with the graph's clique cover number.
Since 2021

Directing NSF AI-EDGE

Since 2021, he directs the NSF AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence (AI-EDGE). The institute advances technologies for wireless systems, including 6G-and-beyond capabilities, and develops networks that aim to be more secure, resilient and self-repairing.
2025

Leading Ohio State's AI(X) Hub

In 2025, Ohio State's AI(X) Hub launches under his leadership. The university-wide hub spans 15 colleges and six strategic pillars, including foundations, health, engineering and sciences, agriculture, cybersecurity and trustworthy AI.
As of October 2026

AI(X) Hub director and professor

In July 2026, he leads Ohio State's AI(X) Hub, a universitywide initiative spanning 15 colleges. As of October 2026, he is an Ohio Eminent Scholar and professor of computer science and engineering, and he directs the Hub. His research interests span communication, networking, computing and cyberphysical systems.

Career

Since 2021NSF AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed IntelligenceDirector
Since 2007Ohio State UniversityOhio Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor of Networking and Communications, Director
2009–2012Tsinghua UniversityGuest chaired professor of wireless communications
1994–2007Purdue UniversityAssistant Professor, Professor