EPISODE · May 19, 2026 · 57 MIN
S6E6: Dr. Ellen Zegura on Software-Defined Networking, Computing for Good, & More
from OMSCS Buzz · host OMSCS at Georgia Institute of Technology
On this episode, host Tanmay Shah chats with Dr. Ellen Zegura. She is a Regents Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, a Fellow of both the ACM and IEEE, and the recipient of Georgia Tech's highest faculty honor — the Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award. Over a 30-year career, she has shaped the internet's foundational architecture through topology modeling and Software-Defined Networking, pushed the limits of connectivity in disconnected corners of the world, and built an entirely new discipline around computing for social good. In this episode, you'll hear about her remarkable career arc, the hard lessons of doing technology work in the real world, and what it actually takes to make computing matter beyond the lab.TIMESTAMPS- (0:00) - Cold Intro (1:13) - Episode begins (2:10) - Internship experience (7:20) - PhD journey (11:17) - Influential Web in the 1990s (14:25) - GT-ITM Network Generator Project, network topological structure (18:07) - Olympics Comes to Atlanta(23:10) - Disruption Tolerant Networks and Message Variance (Discussion of Origin of Software Defined Networking) (31:45) - Development of the Internet, What’s Stressing the Internet? (38:26) - Mobile Revolution’s Effect on GA Tech; Creation of Schools under CoC (44:06) - Computing for Good and Travels to Liberia(50:40) - Role at the National Science Foundation (NSF) VISIT https://omscs.gatech.edu/omscs-buzz-podcast for the entire catalog of episodes and our Feedback & Guest Nomination Form. EDITOR – Jim Lohse
What this episode covers
On this episode, host Tanmay Shah chats with Dr. Ellen Zegura. She is a Regents Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, a Fellow of both the ACM and IEEE, and the recipient of Georgia Tech's highest faculty honor — the Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award. Over a 30-year career, she has shaped the internet's foundational architecture through topology modeling and Software-Defined Networking, pushed the limits of connectivity in disconnected corners of the world, and built an entirely new discipline around computing for social good. In this episode, you'll hear about her remarkable career arc, the hard lessons of doing technology work in the real world, and what it actually takes to make computing matter beyond the lab.TIMESTAMPS- (0:00) - Cold Intro (1:13) - Episode begins (2:10) - Internship experience (7:20) - PhD journey (11:17) - Influential Web in the 1990s (14:25) - GT-ITM Network Generator Project, network topological structure (18:07) - Olympics Comes to Atlanta(23:10) - Disruption Tolerant Networks and Message Variance (Discussion of Origin of Software Defined Networking) (31:45) - Development of the Internet, What’s Stressing the Internet? (38:26) - Mobile Revolution’s Effect on GA Tech; Creation of Schools under CoC (44:06) - Computing for Good and Travels to Liberia(50:40) - Role at the National Science Foundation (NSF) VISIT https://omscs.gatech.edu/omscs-buzz-podcast for the entire catalog of episodes and our Feedback & Guest Nomination Form. EDITOR – Jim Lohse
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S6E6: Dr. Ellen Zegura on Software-Defined Networking, Computing for Good, & More
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