Russell Joseph

Foundation 65 Board member since 2023

Russ Joseph is a professor in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University where he holds joint appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science. His research and teaching interests center around the design of high-performance computer systems. His scholarship and mentorship has been recognized through numerous awards including the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Award and McCormick’s Cole-Higgins Award for Excellence in Advising. Prior to joining the Northwestern faculty, Russ completed his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Princeton University and earned his B.S. in electrical and computer engineering with an additional major in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University.

Russ is excited by the possibilities of technology and the ways that it can shape our future. He has been driven by a deep desire to share the joy of discovery and make science and technology more accessible to future generations of youth – especially those from marginalized groups. In a professional capacity, he has taken multiple leadership roles in tech diversity and mentoring initiatives at the national and university levels. Within the community, he is a co-founder of Black SonRISE, an Evanston-based weekend enrichment program for African American boys attending D65 schools. He develops the STEM curriculum for the program and facilitates the exploration of science concepts. 

Russ and his wife live in Evanston with their two daughters who attend Park School and Haven Middle School.