Jill Zimmerman facts for kids

Jill Loraine Zimmerman is an American computer scientist. She is a professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Goucher College. Since 2006, she has led the Goucher Robotics Lab, where students learn about robots.

Early Life and Education

Jill Zimmerman grew up in Naperville, Illinois. When she was in high school in 1975, she and her dad built their own computer. They were inspired by an article in Popular Mechanics magazine. This article also inspired Bill Gates, who later started Microsoft.

In 1981, Jill graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Computer and Informational Sciences. She was one of the top students in her class. She then went to the University of Minnesota to continue her studies. In 1990, she earned her doctorate degree in computer science. Her studies focused on how computers solve problems.

Career in Computer Science

Jill Zimmerman joined Goucher College as a professor in 1990. She helped lead a special program for students studying computer science, math, and engineering. This program received money from the National Science Foundation to help students.

Robotics Research

Zimmerman's research in computer science includes programming languages and robotics. She often worked with James Gil de Lamadrid, who is also a computer science professor. In the early 1990s, they focused on how robots find their way around. This is called pathfinding.

They wrote papers about how robots can avoid obstacles, even if the obstacles move unexpectedly. This work helped early research on how robots plan their paths.

Programming Languages

Later, Zimmerman became very interested in programming languages. She especially liked systems that combine different ways of programming. In 2000, she and de Lamadrid created a special computer program called the IncH Hope compiler. This program helps translate a language called Hope so that computers can understand it.

They presented their work at conferences in places like Aachen and Bilbao. They continued to improve their compiler over several years.

Goucher Robotics Lab

Since 2006, Jill Zimmerman has been in charge of the Goucher Robotics Lab. She is known as the James M. Beall Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Goucher College. In 2011, Zimmerman and de Lamadrid introduced a new programming language called FOBS. This language combines two different styles of programming. They shared their findings at a conference and later published a detailed study about FOBS in a computer science journal.

Personal Life

In 1985, Jill Zimmerman married James Gil de Lamadrid. He is also a computer science professor.