Michael C. McFarland
Encyclopedia
Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. (born 1948) is the 31st president of the College of the Holy Cross
in Worcester
, Massachusetts
. He succeeded Acting President Frank Vellaccio on July 1, 2000.
and for a short time in California
.
in physics
from Cornell University
in 1969. He gained his master's degree
in 1979 and his doctorate
in 1981, both in computer engineering
, from Carnegie Mellon University
. McFarland joined the Jesuit order in 1975 and studied at the Weston School of Theology and earned a master's in divinity
and Th. M in social ethics. He was ordained at the College of the Holy Cross
in 1984.
professor
and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Gonzaga University
.
In February 2011, he announced his intention to step down from office. McFarland is scheduled to be succeeded in office by Rev. Philip Boroughs
, S.J., who was unanimously elected as the 32nd President of Holy Cross by the board of trustees on May 6, 2011.
McFarland is expected to leave office in January 2012.
, Formal Methods for System Design, the Journal of Systems and Software, Computer, and Technology and Society. For three years he was an associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems and has participated in numerous program committees for conferences.
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He succeeded Acting President Frank Vellaccio on July 1, 2000.
Childhood
McFarland was born in Boston in 1948. He was raised in Waltham, MassachusettsWaltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
and for a short time in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Education
McFarland received his bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from 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 1969. He gained 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 1979 and his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in 1981, both in computer engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
, from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. McFarland joined the Jesuit order in 1975 and studied at the Weston School of Theology and earned a master's in divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
and Th. M in social ethics. He was ordained at the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in 1984.
Career
McFarland has previously worked for AT&T Bell Labs conducting research in computer-aided design of digital systems. Before coming to Holy Cross, he was a computer scienceComputer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
.
President of the College of the Holy Cross
McFarland succeeded Acting Holy Cross President Frank Vellaccio on July 1, 2000.In February 2011, he announced his intention to step down from office. McFarland is scheduled to be succeeded in office by Rev. Philip Boroughs
Philip Boroughs
Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., is an American Jesuit, academic and university administrator. Boroughs was unanimously selected as the incoming 32nd President of the College of the Holy Cross on May 6, 2011. He is scheduled to take office in January 2012, when Rev. Michael C...
, S.J., who was unanimously elected as the 32nd President of Holy Cross by the board of trustees on May 6, 2011.
McFarland is expected to leave office in January 2012.
IEEE
McFarland has articles published in the Proceedings of the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the IEEE Transactions on Computers, the IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and SystemsIEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems
IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, often abbreviated IEEE TCAD or IEEE Transactions on CAD, is a technical journal devoted to the design, analysis, and use of computer programs that aid in the design of integrated circuits and systems...
, Formal Methods for System Design, the Journal of Systems and Software, Computer, and Technology and Society. For three years he was an associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems and has participated in numerous program committees for conferences.
Board Memberships
In addition to his responsibilities as Holy Cross' president, McFarland serves on the following:- The Board of Trustees of The Association of Jesuit Colleges and UniversitiesAssociation of Jesuit Colleges and UniversitiesThe Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and two theological centers in the United States committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting and coordinating collaborative activities, sharing resources, and advocating and...
- The Board of Trustees of The University of ScrantonUniversity of ScrantonThe University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
in Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S... - The Board of Trustees of St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, MassachusettsShrewsbury, Massachusetts-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,640 people, 12,366 households, and 8,693 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 12,696 housing units at an average density of...
- The Board of Trustees of Worcester Catholic Charities
- The Board of Trustees of The Worcester Municipal Research Bureau
- The Board of Directors of the NCAA Division I
- The Advisory Council for PricewaterhouseCoopersPricewaterhouseCoopersPricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
- Chairman of the Nativity School of Worcester, Massachusetts