The National Science Foundation places a priority on inventing new computing and networking technologies. The need is urgent, because such technologies will help researchers use big data sets to find solutions for complex global challenges. The problem is that the amount of data available globally has outpaced the processing power needed to analyze it. International Data Corporation predicts that the collective sum of the world's data will grow to 175 zettabytes – 175 trillion gigabytes – by 2025, a massive data explosion compared to 4.4 zettabytes available in 2015. Samira Khan, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia School of Engineering, is developing revolutionary computer architectures that will make problem-solving with big data possible. She has received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation in recognition of her groundbreaking research.