image: University of Virginia Engineering professors Matt Dwyer (from left), Sebastian Elbaum and Mary Lou Soffa are among the 80 computer scientists named to a new international honor society, recognizing their influence in software engineering.
Credit: University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science
Three computer science professors from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science were among the 80 inaugural members to be inducted into the Software Engineering Academy, a new honor society established by the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Software Engineering (SIGSOFT).
They are Robert Thomson Distinguished Professor of Computer Science Matthew Dwyer, Lawrence Quarles Professor of Computer Science Sebastian Elbaum and Owens R. Cheatham Professor of Sciences Emerita Mary Lou Soffa. Each has the distinction of being elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery.
SIGSOFT’s Software Engineering Academy recognizes software engineers whose work has had a profound and enduring impact on the field through research, practice and education. The inaugural class honors distinguished members from around the world.
Soffa served as chair of UVA’s Department of Computer Science from 2004 to 2012. Her numerous honors include the ACM-IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award, the Anita Borg Technical Leadership Award and the ACM SIGSOFT Influential Educator Award.
Elbaum is the recipient of an International Conference on the Foundations of Software Engineering “Test of Time” Award, which recognizes the field’s most impactful research over the preceding decade, and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He is also an adjunct senior fellow for emerging computing technologies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Dwyer’s published works have been recognized with “Test of Time” awards five different times, and he is the recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Harlan D. Mills Award.
Established in 1976, ACM SIGSOFT deals with all aspects of software development and maintenance. It also provides a forum for computing professionals from industry, government and academia to examine principles, practices and new research results in software engineering.
The recognition of Dwyer, Elbaum and Soffa reaffirms UVA Computer Science’s longstanding leadership in software engineering and its global impact on research and education. Collectively, their work represents decades of contributions to the field and to the education of generations of computer scientists and engineers.