Shafi Goldwasser: Journey from Israel to Turing Award - A Life in Computer Science

Explore the life and career of Shafi Goldwasser, the 2012 ACM Turing Award recipient, in this comprehensive 3-hour interview. Delve into Goldwasser's family background, childhood in Tel Aviv, and educational journey from high school in Israel to Carnegie Mellon University. Gain insights into the influences that shaped her interest in mathematics and computer science, including the impact of encouraging professors and personal experiences. Discover Goldwasser's perspectives on Israeli culture, global politics, and women in STEM fields. Learn about her relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues like Adi Shamir. Understand the challenges she faced as an international student, her decision to defer army service, and her early interest in artificial intelligence. This in-depth conversation offers a unique glimpse into the formative years and experiences of one of computer science's most influential figures.

Introduction
Family background
Childhood
School
Literature
Friends
Siblings
Grandparents
Tel Aviv
High School
Mathematics
The Encouraging Influence
Importance of a Good Professor
Selfimage
Israeli tendency
Infiltrating subculture
Perspective
Personal Experiences
Global Experience of Israel
How did you feel about the war
How did you feel about your father
Longterm personality outlook
Studying at Carnegie Mellon
Did your mother have any say
Other anecdotes from the childhood
A cynical point of view
A transition
Political debates
Power and empowerment
Women in high school
Friends from high school
Adi Shamir
What would happen today with admissions
Predicting the future
Personal connection
Leadership
undergrad years
quit
Coming from Israel
Missing his parents
Talking to his parents
Asking for deferral of army service
Interest in AI