MARY LOU SOFFA
Chair, Department of Computer Science
Owen R. Cheatham Professor of Sciences
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA, USA
CARLO GHEZZI
Chair of Software Engineering
Politecnico di Milano
Milan, Italy
BIOGRAPHY STATEMENT
■ Mary Lou Soffa is the Chair of the ■ ACM has a tremendous influence
Department of Computer Science and the on computing research, development,
Owen R. Cheatham Professor of Sciences education and public policy. Much of
at the University of Virginia. She received this influence has come from the SIGS,
her Ph.D. in computer science from the through their high quality journals and
University of Pittsburgh in 1977. Prior conferences and the digital library, a
to her current appointment, she was a most important resource. ACM has also
Professor at the University of Pittsburgh developed excellent services through the
and also served as the Graduate Dean in Professional Development Center and the
Arts and Sciences. Mary Lou’s general Career Resource. It is imperative that we
research interests are in programming continue to support and enhance these
languages/compilers and software important activities.
engineering. Her current focus is on ACM should make a greater effort in
optimizing compilers, program analysis, other areas, including providing services
virtual execution environments, testing to practitioner members and students, and
and debugging. improving the diversity of our community.
In 1999, Mary Lou was selected as an ACM should expand its leadership role by
ACM Fellow and received the Presidential carefully considering and implementing
Award for Excellence in Science, Math- the types of publications, conferences and
ematics and Engineering Mentoring. She services that would be useful for practi-
received the SIGPLAN Service Award in tioners. Students are a critical component
2003 and the Nico Habermann Award of ACM membership. It is imperative that
from the Computer Research Association ACM works with academia, industry and
(CRA) in 2006. government to demonstrate the excitement
Mary Lou has been active in ACM for and relevance of our field to students. We
many years. She is currently serving need to nurture and support our students,
on the Publications Board. She was the including our international students.
ACM SIG Board Council Representative We can do more to create opportunities
from 2000- 2002 and served as SIGPLAN for interaction between students from
Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer. She also different countries, especially by provid-
served as member-at-large on the SIG- ing resources enabling them to attend
SOFT executive committee. meetings and conferences. ACM should
Mary Lou served on the CRA Board work hard to become a truly international
for ten years. She has worked to increase society and enhance the presence of ACM
the participation of women and under- in other countries. One strategy is to
represented minorities for many years. determine how ACM can be an important
She serves on the CRA-W Committee resource for each country’s needs.
and was the co-chair from 1999-2002. We need to continue the efforts that
She co-founded the CRA-W Graduate ACM already has in place to attract more
Cohort Program and the CRA-W Cohort women and underrepresented minorities
for Associate Professors. She serves on and to mentor those who are in the field.
the Leadership Team for NCWIT. She has Various support strategies and activities
been a member of a number of Editorial are needed at all stages of education, in
Boards, and conference chair, program industry, and in the government.
chair, and on the program committee I will work to continue to support,
for numerous conferences. She recently enhance, and develop these vital activities.
was the Program Co-Chair for ICSE2006
and is currently the Conference Chair for
CGO-08 and ASPLOS-09.
BIOGRAPHY STATEMENT
■ Carlo Ghezzi is a Professor and Chair ■ ACM is the leading professional
of Software Engineering at Politecnico di society in the field of computing. For over
Milano, Italy. He is the Rector’s Delegate 60 years, it has been serving the scien-
for research, past member of the Academ- tific community: researchers, educators,
ic Senate and of the Board of Governors. engineers, and professional developers.
He has been Department Chair and Head The history of the field can be traced back
of the PhD Program. He held temporary through the history of the ACM. This his-
positions at University of California at Los tory documents how our society has been
Angeles, University of North Carolina at shaped through continuous innovations.
Chapel Hill, University of Padova, ESLAI- The ACM will continue to assist us in the
Buenos Aires, University of California at future advances in hardware, software,
Santa Barbara, Technical University of networks, and devices, which will make
Vienna, University of Klagenfurt, Univer- computing ubiquitous and pervasive.
sity of Lugano. New problems, however, are also
Ghezzi is an ACM Fellow, an IEEE Fel- emerging and some older problems are
low, and a member of the Italian Academy still with us. The ACM should play a
of Sciences. He was awarded the ACM proactive role to help us facing and solv-
SIGSOFT Distinguished Service Award. ing them.
He has been a member of the ACM A lot remains to be done to spread com-
Nominating Committee, and is presently puting science and education in all parts
a member of the committee for the ACM of the world. By its very nature, computing
Software System Award. He has been on is at the heart of technology that connects
the evaluation board of several interna- the world. It should by no means become
tional research projects and institutions in the source of deeper divisions and dis-
Europe, Japan, and the USA. criminations. The ACM should elaborate
Ghezzi is a regular member of the policies to support worldwide knowledge
program committee of important confer- sharing and scientific cooperation, break-
ences in the software engineering field, ing all barriers of race, culture, economy,
such as the ICSE and ESEC/FSE for which gender, and age.
he also served as Program and General University education also has problems,
Chair. In 2006 he was General Co-Chair particularly in North America and Europe,
of the International Conference on Service because it is not attracting enough bril-
Oriented Computing. liant young people, and females are a
Ghezzi has been the Editor in Chief of small minority. They often view computing
the ACM Trans. on Software Engineer- as uninspiring hacking, lacking deep
ing and Methodology (2001-2006) and challenging underpinnings. The society
an Associate Editor of IEEE Trans. on at large often has misconceptions, both
Software Engineering. He is currently an about our profession and about its roots
Associate Editor of Science of Computer in science. We must find ways to better
Programming, Service Oriented Comput- communicate. And we must focus our
ing and Applications, and Software Pro- education on long-lasting principles,
cess Improvement and Practice. more than on the mundane and transient
Ghezzi’s research has been focusing on surface of technology. The ACM should
software engineering and programming take the lead of a pride initiative at all
languages. He co-authored over 150 levels, finding new ways to communicate
papers and 8 books. He coordinated sev- with the society, and especially with the
eral national and international (EU funded) new generations.
research projects.
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