Samer Al-Kiswany
Associate Professor
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
University of Waterloo
Research
At Waterloo Advanced Systems Lab (WASL) our research interests are in the area of computing systems with a special focus on distributed and operating systems. I am interested in building highly efficient systems by leveraging recent advances in hardware technology and by exploiting domain specific optimizations. My current projects focus on building software-defined storage systems for workflow applications, exploring fundamental reliability and scheduling problems in the Linux I/O stack, and exploiting recent advances in software-defined networks and multicore platforms to accelerate storage systems.
Graduate Opportunities
I am looking for strong PhD students who enjoy building real systems. Our current work spans systems for AI/ML, distributed and storage systems, and networking, so if you like designing, building, and measuring systems that run in modern data centers, I'd encourage you to apply.
Good candidates usually have hands-on experience building systems software and a solid background in operating systems, distributed systems, or networking.
To be considered, apply through the Cheriton School's graduate admissions and list me as a potential supervisor in your application. I will be notified when your application is complete. Due to the volume of inquiries, I am unable to respond to individual emails about admission.
I am not currently taking MMath students.
Professional Activities
- 2023–present
- Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems (TPDS)
- 2025, 2026
- PC Member, FAST
- 2025
- Treasurer and Registration Chair, HotOS
- 2023
- PC Member, EuroSys
- 2022, 2023
- PC Member, SRDS
- 2022
- PC Member, HotStorage
- 2022
- PC Member, FAST
- 2018–2023
- PC Member, HPDC
- 2019
- PC Member, SOSP
Teaching
- Winter 2026
- CS 454/654: Distributed Systems
Short Bio
I completed my PhD at the Networked Systems Laboratory in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at The University of British Columbia, advised by Prof. Matei Ripeanu. During my PhD I completed five internships at Microsoft Research, Microsoft Azure, IBM Research, NEC Labs, and Argonne National Lab. After my PhD I joined the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a postdoc, working with Prof. Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau and Prof. Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, and the ADSL research group. Currently, I am an Associate Professor at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo.
Contact Information
Samer Al-KiswanyDavid R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1
Canada
Office: DC 3516
