Dr. Özsu's research is broadly in data science focusing on data engineering. His research follows two threads: large-scale data distribution, and management of non-traditional data (i.e., non-relational data). Currently, his research focus is on graph data and RDF data. Previously his research focus was on object systems, image, video, XML data, and their management in a distributed environment.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA). He is an elected member of the Science Academy of Türkiye, and a member of Sigma Xi. He is the recipient of the IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award (2022), CS-Can/Info-Can Lifetime Achievement Award (2018), ACM SIGMOD Test-of-Time Award (2015), the ACM SIGMOD Contributions Award (2006), and The Ohio State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award (2008). He is the four-time recipient of the University of Waterloo Outstanding Performance Award (2004, 2009, 2014, 2019). He has held Cheriton Faculty Fellowships (2013--2016, 2018--2024), a University Research Chair position (2004-2011), and a Faculty Research Fellowship (2000--2003) at the University of Waterloo, and a McCalla Research Professorship (1993--1994) at the University of Alberta.
Dr. Özsu is the author/co-author of three books including the classic Principles of Distributed Database Systems (with Patrick Valduriez) which is now in its fourth edition. He has edited twelve books/proceedings including the Encyclopedia of Database Systems (with Ling Liu), now in its second edition. He has published over 200 journal and conference papers, one of which was recognized by a test-of-time award and three with best paper awards. A fourth was selected for best paper honourable mention.
He founded the ACM Books and served as its Founding Editor-in-Chief (2014-2020). He was also the Founding Series Editor-in-Chief of Morgan & Claypool's Synthesis Lectures on Data Management (2009-2014). He serves on the editorial boards of ACM Transactions on Internet Technologies, World Wide Web Journal, FACETS, and Springer Book Series on Advanced Information & Knowledge Processing and Web Information Systems Engineering and Internet Technologies. He has served as the Program Chair of all three major database conferences: ACM SIGMOD (2014), IEEE ICDE (2007), and VLDB (2004), as well as of WISE (2001), IDEAS (2003), and CIKM (1996) conferences. He has been on the Program Committees of many conferences, symposia and workshops.
Dr. Özsu chairs the Steering/Advisory Committee of Polytechnic University of Hong Kong Research Centre on Data Science and AI, and serves on the Advisory Committee of Istanbul Technical University (Türkiye) Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Application and Research Centre, Technical Advisory Committee of Tsinghua University (China) National Engineering Laboratory for Big Data Software, and Advisory Boards of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology School of Engineering and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Big Data Institute.
He previously served on the CS-Can/Info-Can Board (2017-2020), on the Publications Board of Association for Computing Machinery (2002-2017), on the Scientific Advisory Board of National Institute of Informatics of Japan (2011-2017), and on the Technical Expert Advisory Committee of City University of Hong Kong Multimedia Software Engineering Research Center (2014-2019). He was the Chair of ACM Special Interest Group on Management of Data (SIGMOD) (2001-2005), an Editor-in-Chief of The VLDB Journal (1997-2005), an associate editor of ACM Computing Surveys (2005-2009), and a trustee of the VLDB Endowment (1996-2002). He served as the Canadian Association for Computer Science's representative on Computing Research Association's Board of Directors (2010-2013). He was a member and chair the Computer and Information Science Grant Selection Committee of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (1991-1994), and served on the Management Committee of the Canadian Genome Analysis and Technology Program (1992-1993).