Connectivity: The DNA of Our Society – Past, Present, and Future
Date and Time: December 5, 2025 | 1 p.m. PST
Location: CHBE 102
Refreshments will be served at 12:50 p.m.
Abstract
Connectivity is the DNA of our society, it underpins every interaction, every innovation, every leap forward. Over the past century, connectivity has evolved from early wireless experiments to the global Internet and intelligent, adaptive networks that power modern life. As we look ahead, connectivity is beginning to resemble the human body: intelligent “brains” in the cloud and edge, high-speed “nervous systems” through advanced networks, “senses” embedded in devices and environments, and “organs” represented by distributed compute and data systems.
Realizing this vision over the next 10–20 years will depend on progress across ten transformative technology domains: AI-native networks, biotechnology, sustainable energy systems, advanced materials, quantum technologies, distributed intelligence, climate technologies, immersive interfaces, human–machine collaboration, and trusted digital infrastructures.
No single discipline can deliver this future alone. Its realization demands interdisciplinary education, learning, and research that bridge engineering, the sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, integrating technology with ethics, policy, human behavior, and sustainability.
Biography
Dr. Mallik Tatipamula is CTO at Ericsson, Silicon Valley, with a distinguished 35-year career spanning Nortel, Motorola, Cisco, Juniper, F5 Networks, and Ericsson. He has made fundamental contributions at the intersection of communications and networking, shaping the evolution of telecom networks from 2G to 5G and beyond. His work has driven four major architectural shifts: (1) integrating IP into mobile systems to enable the mobile Internet; (2) scaling the Internet backbone through IP-over-DWDM; (3) pioneering software-defined 5G for Industry 4.0; and (4) shaping the emerging global framework for 6G.
Mallik has played a pivotal role in advancing collaboration across industry, academia, and government, aligning research, standards, policy, and funding roadmaps, and fostering international cooperation on 6G innovation and policy. A passionate advocate for workforce development and digital inclusion, he has mentored more than 100 students and delivered over 500 keynotes and guest lectures worldwide. He has served on advisory boards of deep-tech companies such as Pensando (acquired by AMD for $1.9B), the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), and the Commonwealth Nations, among others. He has held visiting professorships at King’s College London, the University of Glasgow, and the University of Edinburgh, strengthening ties between research and practice. He has co-authored two books, published over 100 papers and patents, and been elected to five national academies, including as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). His global honors include three honorary doctorates, the IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Industry Leader Award, Silicon Valley Business Journal CTO of the Year, and induction into the IPv6 Hall of Fame, among others.