The Liskov substitution principle, developed alongside Barbara Liskov in 1993, remains a foundational contribution to software engineering methodology. Jeannette Wing, born in Newark in 1956, has spent decades bridging the gap between theoretical computer science and industrial application. Her professional trajectory spans academia, government policy, and corporate research labs, focusing primarily on programming languages and formal methods.
Academic Foundations and Research
Wing completed her undergraduate and master’s studies in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June 1979 under the guidance of Ronald Rivest and John Reiser. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science at the same institution in 1983, supervised by John Guttag. Her early faculty appointments included the University of Southern California from 1982 until 1985, followed by a tenure at Carnegie Mellon University lasting from 1985 to 2012. During her time at Carnegie Mellon, she served as the head of the Computer Science Department across two periods, 2004–2007 and 2010–2012.
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Beyond university research, Wing has held influential administrative roles. She served as an assistant director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the National Science Foundation between 2007 and 2010. In January 2013, she transitioned to the private sector as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Research, where she managed global laboratories and research connections until June 30, 2017. Following this, she became the Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute at Columbia University and was appointed Executive Vice President for Research at the university on September 1, 2021.
Contributions to Computational Thought
Wing is recognized for her advocacy of computational thinking, which involves applying algorithmic abstraction techniques common in computer science to diverse disciplines. Her work in formal methods, particularly regarding Larch, has significantly influenced programming methodology. She serves on numerous editorial boards, including the Journal of the ACM and Formal Methods in System Design. Her professional honors include becoming an ACM Fellow in 1998, an IEEE Fellow in 2003, and election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2024 for her work in trustworthy computing and formal methods.
Fast facts
- Born: 1956, Newark
- Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Primary Fields: Computer science, artificial intelligence, programming language
- Major Role: Executive Vice President for Research, Columbia University
- Notable Development: Liskov substitution principle (1993)
- ACM Fellow: 1998
- IEEE Fellow: 2003
- Personal Interest: Fourth-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do
Questions readers ask
What is the Liskov substitution principle?
Developed in 1993 with Barbara Liskov, it is a concept in programming methodology regarding how objects of a superclass should be replaceable with objects of its subclasses without altering the correctness of the program.
What does Jeannette Wing mean by computational thinking?
It refers to the process of expressing problem-solving techniques and algorithmic abstractions used by computer scientists so that they may be applied to research and tasks in other academic and practical disciplines.
Achievements
- Held posts at Carnegie Mellon University, Microsoft Research and DIMACS
- Fields: computer science, artificial intelligence and programming language
