Dr. Mehran Sahami is a distinguished leader in computer science education and a key figure in shaping modern computing curricula worldwide. He currently serves as the Tencent Chair of the Computer Science Department and James and Ellenor Chesebrough Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford University, where he also functions as a Professor of Computer Science and the Robert and Ruth Halperin University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. Prior to his academic career, Sahami was a Senior Research Scientist at Google during its formative years, where he contributed to pioneering developments in email spam filtering technology. He earned his Bachelor of Science and PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University, completing his doctoral work in 1999 under the supervision of Daphne Koller.
Sahami's research has profoundly influenced computer science education through his leadership of Stanford's curriculum redesign, which transitioned from a large core to a more flexible model with specialized tracks, accommodating the evolving nature of computing disciplines. As co-chair of the ACM IEEE CS joint task force, he spearheaded the creation of the influential Computer Science Curricula 2013 establishing international standards that have guided undergraduate programs across numerous institutions worldwide. His technical contributions include over twenty patents in web search recommendation systems and spam filtering technologies implemented in commercial applications with his lectures on introductory computer science reaching thousands of students through online platforms. Most recently he has extended his impact through co authoring System Error Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot a critical examination of technology's societal implications.
Beyond his scholarly work Sahami serves as a vital bridge between academia industry and policy having been appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to the state's Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan Advisory Panel to guide educational policy. He has held significant leadership roles including chair of the ACM Education Board and membership on the ACM Council demonstrating his commitment to advancing the computing profession globally. As an educator he teaches Stanford's foundational computer science sequence attended by approximately 1500 students annually shaping the next generation of technologists with a focus on both technical excellence and ethical responsibility. His ongoing work continues to address the critical intersection of computer science education machine learning and ethics ensuring computing professionals are equipped to navigate complex societal challenges in the digital age.
