In 1966, Orrin Taulbee founded Pitt’s Department of Computer Science and served as its chair until 1984—an amazingly long time to hold that position. In October 1989, the four sons of Dr. Taulbee initiated this award in memory and honor of their parents.

To be considered for the annual award, a candidate must: (1) be a full-time PhD student, with a high QPA; (2) pass the PhD preliminary exams and make significant progress towards the degree; (3) complete at least two semesters with classroom experience as a teaching assistant or teaching fellow with evidence of outstanding teaching skills; (4) demonstrate strong research interests, as confirmed by the faculty advisor; (5) show a marked interest in pursuing an academic career.

This year’s recipient of the Taulbee Award is Lory Al Moakar. Lory's advisor is Dr. Alexandros Labrinidis. Congratulations Lory!