Assistant Professor Niv Dayan.
Get to know Niv Dayan, assistant professor, who joined the Department of Computer Science in January 2023.
Dayan received his PhD in Computer Science from the IT University of Copenhagen in 2015 and a postdoc from Harvard. He spent a few years as a research scientist in industry.
What attracted you to your specific area of research in computer science?
As a university student, I became fascinated with how applying simple rules to data organization can result in complex data structures with stunning properties! This is similar to the surprising ways in which simple rules in nature can give way to breathtaking patterns (e.g., flowers, lightning, snowflakes). The beauty is analogous.
Tell us about some of the key questions you’re looking to answer through your research in databases and data structures, and the possible practical applications of your work.
Data structures are the bookkeepers of modern civilization. My lab aims to design the best possible data structures that the laws of physics allow for. The goal is to store the world’s information cost-effectively and sustainably.
What’s one thing you hope students who study or work with you will come away with?
If I can get my students to feel excitement when confronted by an open question and obsessive joy by trying to crack it, I have done my job.
What drew you to the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto?
The colleagues at U of T are bright and caring, and Toronto is a vibrant multicultural city with some of the best authentic eats you can find anywhere in the world.
How are you finding life in Toronto so far and what are you looking forward to doing or experiencing in the city?
There are a lot of neighbourhoods still to explore, including Little Italy, Little Portugal, Little Tibet, Little India, etc. I’m also excited to see more theatre and explore the ravines and islands in the area by bike.
What do you enjoy doing outside of your work as a computer scientist?
I’m into various physical activities like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, skiing, biking, and more recently bouldering. Most of all, what gives life meaning outside of work are my wonderful family and friends.