As a child, Deepu Talla, Ph.D. ECE ’01, was captivated by the imaginative worlds of “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” where intelligent machines were still science fiction. That early fascination has inspired his work in robotics and continues to drive him today. Now vice president of robotics and edge computing at Nvidia, a global leader in computing and AI, Deepu is helping bring that future closer to reality while giving back to UT through the Nvidia-Talla Endowment for Texas Robotics.
His gift is amplified through the $5 million Amy and Bill Gurley Endowment for Texas Robotics, which provides a 1:1 match for new endowments and expands opportunities for students and faculty working at the forefront of robotics.
“UT students and faculty need the resources to build the robot brain, which is essentially the AI that will define the future of robotics,” Deepu says.
The robot brain — AI that lets robots think and learn — is the missing piece in robotics. He cautions that putting untested AI into robots can be risky, since the machines could cause damage. By training and testing AI in simulation, researchers can experiment safely before applying it to robots for tasks that are dangerous or difficult for people. With technology advancing rapidly, he is eager to see UT students and faculty keep pace while making meaningful progress.
Central to the gift is a computing cluster, a set of powerful computers that work together to help researchers train AI models and run simulations. As Deepu explains, “Without the right computing infrastructure, research cannot move forward.” The endowment gives researchers the resources to experiment safely and take their work further than ever before.
Shaped by Experience
Deepu’s commitment to expanding opportunity is rooted in his own experience as a student.
Reflecting on the challenge of a rigorous Ph.D. program, he remembers: “During my first semester, I was near the bottom in a few of my classes. I had to catch up, which taught me how hard you need to work to succeed.”
In honor of his mentor, Dr. Lizy John, Deepu established the Dr. Lizy John Endowed Graduate Fellowship, which supports graduate students in electrical and computer engineering.
“She gave me the freedom to explore what interested me and pushed me to excel,” he says. “I wanted to create an opportunity for other students to have that same experience.”
The Nvidia-Talla Endowment for Texas Robotics gives students and faculty the tools to explore, experiment and expand what’s possible.
UT Austin taught me how to take complex things and simplify them. Breaking things down clearly is how you solve big problems and build the future of robotics.
If you would like to support Texas Robotics or other Solutions of The Future, please consider making a gift as we enter the final months of the What Starts Here campaign.
