The Advanced Computer Architecture Laboratory (ACAL) was established in 1985 as a research unit of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Michigan. With a research budget exceeding $4 million per year, the Lab serves as the focal point for interdisciplinary research into the theory, design, programming, and applications of advanced computer systems. Over the past two decades, ACAL researchers have made pioneering contributions to the design of high-performance computer systems such as, for example, Intel's Pentium chip and Compaq's Alpha chip, spearheading technical advances in pipelining, branch prediction, parallel processing, timing analysis and optimization, and automatic test generation. ACAL members and alumni have been and continue to be instrumental in the exploration and development of key technologies for high-performance microprocessors and embedded microcontrollers.