David Gries
Encyclopedia
David Gries is an American computer scientist
at Cornell University
, United States
. He is currently Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Engineering
. His research interests include programming methodology and related areas such as programming languages, programming language semantics, and logic. He has devoted much of his academic life to teaching these topics to undergraduate students. His son, Paul Gries, has written an introductory textbook to computer programming using Python
and is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto
.
, where he met his wife, Elaine.
Gries earned his Master's degree
in mathematics
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
in 1963. While at Illinois, Gries worked with Manfred Paul and Ruediger Wiehle to write a full ALGOL
compiler for the IBM 7090
computer. He earned his Dr. Rer. Nat. in 1966 from the Munich University of Technology, studying under Friedrich L. Bauer
and Joseph Stoer.
Gries was an assistant professor at Stanford University
from 1966–1969 and then became an associate professor at Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York
. He spent the next 30 years there, including a stint as Chair
of the Computer Science department from 1982–1987. He had a Guggenheim Fellowship
in 1984–1985. He spent 1999–2002 at the University of Georgia
in Athens
and returned to Cornell in January 2003.
He is the author, co-author, or editor of seven textbooks and 75 research papers. David Gries currently lives in Ithaca, New York
.
He holds two honorary doctorates:
and is among the first ten Cornell faculty awarded a Cornell Weiss Presidential Fellowship for contributions to undergraduate education.
In 1994 he was inducted as a Fellow
of the Association for Computing Machinery
for co-authoring "An Axiomatic Proof Technique for Parallel Programs I".
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is currently Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Engineering
Cornell University College of Engineering
The College of Engineering is a division of Cornell University that was founded in 1870 as the Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanic Arts...
. His research interests include programming methodology and related areas such as programming languages, programming language semantics, and logic. He has devoted much of his academic life to teaching these topics to undergraduate students. His son, Paul Gries, has written an introductory textbook to computer programming using Python
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
and is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
Life
Gries graduated from Queens College in 1960. He spent the following two years working as a programmer-mathematician for the U.S. Naval Weapons LaboratoryNaval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
The United States Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division , named for Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, is located in Dahlgren, Virginia and is part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The NSWCDD was founded as the U.S...
, where he met his wife, Elaine.
Gries earned his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
in 1963. While at Illinois, Gries worked with Manfred Paul and Ruediger Wiehle to write a full ALGOL
ALGOL
ALGOL is a family of imperative computer programming languages originally developed in the mid 1950s which greatly influenced many other languages and became the de facto way algorithms were described in textbooks and academic works for almost the next 30 years...
compiler for the IBM 7090
IBM 7090
The IBM 7090 was a second-generation transistorized version of the earlier IBM 709 vacuum tube mainframe computers and was designed for "large-scale scientific and technological applications". The 7090 was the third member of the IBM 700/7000 series scientific computers. The first 7090 installation...
computer. He earned his Dr. Rer. Nat. in 1966 from the Munich University of Technology, studying under Friedrich L. Bauer
Friedrich L. Bauer
Friedrich Ludwig Bauer is a German computer scientist and professor emeritus at Technical University of Munich.-Life:...
and Joseph Stoer.
Gries was an assistant professor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
from 1966–1969 and then became an associate professor at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
. He spent the next 30 years there, including a stint as Chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of the Computer Science department from 1982–1987. He had a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 1984–1985. He spent 1999–2002 at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
and returned to Cornell in January 2003.
He is the author, co-author, or editor of seven textbooks and 75 research papers. David Gries currently lives in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
.
Awards
Gries is the only recipient of four major educator awards in computer science:- the American Federation of Information Processing Societies' Education Award (1986)
- the ACMAssociation for Computing MachineryThe Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
SIGCSESIGCSESIGCSE is the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education, which provides a forum for educators to discuss issues related to the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of computing programs, curricula, and courses, as well as syllabi,...
Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computer Science Education (1991) - the Institute for Electrical Engineers Computer Society Taylor L. Booth Education Award (1994)
- the ACM Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award (1995)
He holds two honorary doctorates:
- an honorary Doctor of Laws, Daniel Webster CollegeDaniel Webster CollegeDaniel Webster College is a for-profit proprietary college in Nashua, New Hampshire with a professions focus.-History:The college was established in 1965 as the New England Aeronautical Institute and was associated with Boire Field...
, Nashua, New Hampshire (1996) - an honorary Doctor of Science, Miami UniversityMiami UniversityMiami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
, Oxford, Ohio (1999)
and is among the first ten Cornell faculty awarded a Cornell Weiss Presidential Fellowship for contributions to undergraduate education.
In 1994 he was inducted as a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
for co-authoring "An Axiomatic Proof Technique for Parallel Programs I".