Sundar Pichai mourns loss of veteran Google employee Luiz Barroso
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, has expressed his grief over the passing of Luiz André Barroso, the inventor of the modern data center and a veteran Google employee, who reshaped the landscape. Barroso, who worked at Google for nearly 22 years, passed away on September 16, at the age of 59. Pichai wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Luiz was behind many of Google's technical achievements, including writing the book on data centers and leading the design of computing infrastructure."
Pichai bid farewell to Barroso through his post
Barroso's enduring legacy in data center design
The loss of Barroso is a significant blow to the world of computer architecture and infrastructure design. He built data centers with low-cost components instead of expensive specialized hardware. His groundbreaking work in inventing the modern data center and co-authoring "The Datacenter as a Computer" will continue to inspire future generations. As the industry mourns his passing, Barroso's legacy will live on through the countless innovations and advancements he brought to the field.
Educational background and achievements
Barroso held BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro. He pursued his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California. Being a pioneer in computer architecture and infrastructure design, he invented the modern data center. Barroso also co-authored "The Datacenter as a Computer," the first textbook to describe the architecture of warehouse-scale computing systems.
He led the development of COVID-19 exposure notifications app
Barroso continued to lead important projects at Google, including the development of its COVID-19 exposure notifications app. He helped to coordinate the work of different teams within Google and with external partners on this project. Barroso's concept of "The Data as a Computer" is now the foundation of the web, mobile apps, and other internet services. Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior VP of Google Infrastructure, said Barroso left an indelible imprint at the company, and his contributions to the industry are countless.
He received several accolades
Barroso was a recipient of the highest honor in computer architecture from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The Brazillian engineer was also a fellow of the ACM and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
