Pfenning and Fall Named 2015 ACM Fellows

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 - by Byron Spice

Computer Science Department Head Frank Pfenning has been named a 2015 fellow by the Association for Computing Machinery, along with the SEI's Kevin Fall.

Frank Pfenning, head of the Computer Science Department, and Kevin Fall, the deputy director and chief technology officer of the Software Engineering Institute, have been named 2015 fellows by the Association for Computing Machinery in recognition of their contributions to computer science.

The ACM, the world's leading computer society, cited Pfenning for "contributions to the logical foundations of automatic theorem proving and types for programming languages." Fall was cited for "contributions to delay-tolerant networking."

A total of 42 ACM members were named 2015 fellows. ACM will formally recognize the 2015 fellows at the annual Awards Banquet in San Francisco in June.

"Whether they work in leading universities, corporations or research laboratories, these newly minted ACM fellows are responsible for the breakthroughs and industrial innovations that are transforming society at every level," said ACM President Alexander L. Wolf. "At times, the contributions of a fellow may include enhancements to a device that immediately impacts our daily lives. At other times, new research discoveries lead to theoretical advances that, while perhaps not immediately perceptible, have substantial long-term impacts."

Pfenning earned his doctorate in mathematics at Carnegie Mellon in 1987 and joined CSD in 1988. His research focuses on applications of mathematical logic in computer science, including the design of programming languages, systems for reasoning about computer programs and logics for ensuring computer security. He also played a key role in an update of the introductory computer science curriculum that CSD began implementing in 2010, developing a new course called Principles of Imperative Computation.

Fall, an adjunct professor in SCS's Institute for Software Research, directs the research and development portfolio of the SEI's technical programs in cybersecurity and software engineering. Before joining the SEI in 2013, he was a principal engineer at Qualcomm and Intel, where he worked on adaptive video streaming technology and networking-related programs. Fall was co-founder of NetBoost Corp., where he was responsible for architecture and design of a software framework for programming network processors.

Additional information about the 2015 ACM fellows, the awards event, as well as previous ACM fellows and award winners is available on the ACM Awards Site.

For more information, Contact:
Byron Spice | 412-268-9068 | bspice@cs.cmu.edu