My current activities
Three themes are currently dominate my research: (1) Design of languages for programming large-scale distributed systems, (2) program analysis and verification of programs, and (3) "proof-carrying" techniques for enhanced software security.
As examples of these themes, currently I am working on programming models for very large-scale modular robotics systems in the Claytronics Project. I am also doing work on shape analysis and verification of C-like programs that manipulate mutable heap structures. Finally, I am involved in a project to use proof-carrying techniques in ultra-secure file systems.
I do a lot of service work for the research community. I am on the CRA Board of Directors, where I chair the CRA Government Affairs Committee and work on the CRA Education Committee. I am also a member of the CCC Council and am the vice-chair of the DARPA Information Science and Technology Board.
Finally, I am the Head of the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University. This keeps me very busy. But in a good, fun sort of way. :-)
Recently on my blog
A few weeks ago Berkeley's Randy Katz told me about an interesting book by one of his colleagues, Richard Muller. It's called "Physics for Future Presidents" and is based on a course by the same name.
The book is described as explaining the "science behind the headlines - the tools of terrorists, the dangers of nuclear power, and the reality of global warming." An interesting concept, don't you think? Of course, the reason that Randy brought this up was to ask the obvious: Shouldn't there also be a computer science (or, more broadly, an IT) version of this book?
Indeed, so many of the challenges facing the nation today involve ...