David R. Karger

Currently, research on Human Computer Interaction, exploring the way people manage information and designing systems that can help them do it better.  This includes structured data organization, visualization, publication, and retrieval, and also online discussion systems.  

Previous work in Networking: Co-invented the Chord distributed hash table (DHT), introducing a simple circular skip list with correctness and performance proofs; co-invented consistent hashing, widely used in content delivery (e.g., Akamai) and peer-to-peer systems; new stabilization protocols for DHTs under churn; randomized network coding for multicast.

Previous work in Algorithms: Pioneering randomized algorithms for minimum cuts (now used as a leading example of randomized algorithms in several standard textbooks) and minimum spanning trees, scheduling algorithms, graph coloring.