# Thomas LaPorta

> Ph.D. Columbia University 1992

**Wikidata**: [Q102341674](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q102341674)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/thomas-laporta

## Summary
Thomas LaPorta is an American computer scientist who earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 1992. He worked at Bell Labs from 1986 to 2002 and has been on the faculty of Pennsylvania State University since 2002, contributing to computer-science research and graduate education.

## Biography
- Born: Not available
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), electrical engineering, Columbia University (1992)
- Known for: Research and academic work in computer science, and long-term research employment at Bell Labs followed by an academic appointment at Pennsylvania State University
- Employer(s): Bell Labs (1986–2002); Pennsylvania State University (from 2002)
- Field(s): Computer science; doctoral training in electrical engineering

## Contributions
Thomas LaPorta completed a doctoral dissertation in electrical engineering at Columbia University in 1992 under advisor Mischa Schwartz. He spent 16 years at Bell Labs (1986–2002) as a research staff member and then moved to Pennsylvania State University in 2002 as a faculty member, roles that supported sustained research output. His scholarly work is indexed across major technical bibliographic services: DBLP (dblp_author_id: l/TomLaPorta), IEEE Xplore (author id 37283722800), ACM Digital Library (author id 81350601077), zbMATH (la-porta.thomas-f / laporta.thomas), and Google Scholar (t-FPWNgAAAAJ), indicating a body of peer-reviewed publications in computer science and related areas. He has supervised multiple doctoral students, including Kameswari Kotapati, Patrick Gerard Traynor, Diman Zad Tootaghaj, and Stefan Achleitner. LaPorta also appears in library and authority databases (ISNI 0000000117085192; VIAF 162101265; Library of Congress no2006062120), documenting his authorship and scholarly identity across institutional repositories.

## FAQs
### Q: Where did Thomas LaPorta earn his doctoral degree?
A: He earned a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 1992.

### Q: Where has Thomas LaPorta worked?
A: He worked at Bell Labs from 1986 until 2002 and has been affiliated with Pennsylvania State University beginning in 2002.

### Q: Who supervised Thomas LaPorta’s doctoral research?
A: His doctoral advisor was Mischa Schwartz.

## Why They Matter
Thomas LaPorta’s career bridges industrial research and academic scholarship. His 16-year tenure at Bell Labs placed him in a prominent industrial research environment where he contributed to technical work that is part of his publication record. Transitioning to Pennsylvania State University in 2002, he continued that work in an academic setting, combining research with graduate supervision. His indexed author profiles across DBLP, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, zbMATH, and Google Scholar document a sustained record of publications that form the basis for peer recognition and reuse by other researchers. Through doctoral supervision of multiple students, LaPorta has helped train the next generation of researchers in computer science and related disciplines. Authority records and standard identifiers (ISNI, VIAF, Library of Congress, Mathematics Genealogy Project) further establish the traceable scholarly footprint that supports citation, discovery, and archival preservation of his work.

## Notable For
- Earning a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 1992 under advisor Mischa Schwartz.
- Research staff member at Bell Labs from 1986 to 2002.
- Faculty appointment at Pennsylvania State University beginning in 2002.
- Authorship recorded in major bibliographic and indexing services: DBLP, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, zbMATH, and Google Scholar.
- Supervision of doctoral students including Kameswari Kotapati, Patrick Gerard Traynor, Diman Zad Tootaghaj, and Stefan Achleitner.

## Body

### Education and doctoral work
- Completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in electrical engineering at Columbia University, degree conferred in 1992.
- Doctoral advisor: Mischa Schwartz.
- Listed in the Mathematics Genealogy Project (ID 126823).

### Industry career
- Employed at Bell Labs from 1986 to 2002.
- Role at Bell Labs recorded in institutional employment metadata.

### Academic career
- Joined Pennsylvania State University as faculty in 2002.
- Employer records show a Penn State affiliation beginning in 2002.

### Research publications and indexing
- Publications are indexed in DBLP (dblp_author_id: l/TomLaPorta).
- Recorded in IEEE Xplore (author id 37283722800).
- Listed in the ACM Digital Library (author id 81350601077).
- Appears in zbMATH under la-porta.thomas-f and laporta.thomas.
- Has a Google Scholar author profile (t-FPWNgAAAAJ).

### Mentorship and students
- Doctoral students include:
  - Kameswari Kotapati
  - Patrick Gerard Traynor
  - Diman Zad Tootaghaj
  - Stefan Achleitner
- Student supervision is documented in academic records.

### Authority files and identifiers
- ISNI: 0000000117085192
- VIAF: 162101265
- Library of Congress authority: no2006062120
- Other identifiers: idref 175068887; nukat n2006059116; bibsys 7043856; canadiana ncf12124068; Mathematics Genealogy Project 126823.

(End of entry.)

## References

1. IdRef
2. IEEE Xplore
3. Mathematics Genealogy Project