ACM Honors Leaders for Expanding the Promise and Profile of Computing

Recipients Extended Core Computing Concepts and Resources across International Boundaries

NEW YORK, April 21, 2015 – ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) today recognized the vision and achievement of two leaders who have transformed the way the world views computing.  Jeannette Wing of Microsoft Research advocated for a concept she called “computational thinking,” a way of solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior that draws on concepts fundamental to computer science.  Professor Dame Wendy Hall of the University of Southampton increased the visibility of ACM in leading scientific venues worldwide by broadening its values, resources, and services. The honorees will be recognized with ACM Awards for leadership and service, to be presented at the ACM Awards Banquet on June 20 in San Francisco.

“The computing field has benefited immensely from the passion and energy of these two world-leading computer scientists,” said ACM President Alexander L. Wolf.  “Wing recognized early on that the ever-increasing impact of computing in modern society must be accompanied by a language in which we can discuss computing's intellectual underpinnings with those not versed in its technical complexities.  Hall provided leadership and inspiration at a time when the computing discipline exploded onto the international scene, promoting ACM as the foremost association of computing professionals worldwide.”

Jeannette Wing received the ACM Distinguished Service Award for helping the computing community articulate the promise of computation to broad audiences.  She has positioned the field to communicate the core concepts of computing in elegant and easily understood ways, and has championed its introduction in numerous national and international venues.  She has also drawn new and diverse audiences to the field of computer science. 

A Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Research, Wing has oversight of its core research laboratories around the world .  Previously, she led the Computing and Information Science and Engineering Directorate (CISE) of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), and was the President's Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall is the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to ACM Award. As the first ACM President from outside North America, Hall initiated the establishment of ACM Councils in Europe, India and China, extending the organization’s scope to a borderless audience.  She also focused on the education of upcoming computer science generations, promoting gender diversity and nurturing talent in computing from all corners of the world.

A Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, UK, Hall was a founding director of the Web Science Research Initiative to promote the discipline of Web Science and foster research collaboration between the University of Southampton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  She was President of the British Computer Society, and since 2014, has served as a Commissioner for the Global Commission on Internet Governance.  In 2009, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). 

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.

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