Kathryn S. McKinley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathryn S. McKinley
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Kathryn S. McKinley
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| Born | January 10, 1962 |
| Alma mater | Rice University |
| Known for | Locality & Parallelism Optimizations Hoard memory allocator |
| Awards | ACM Fellow (2008) IEEE Fellow (2011) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer Science |
| Institutions | Microsoft The University of Texas at Austin University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Doctoral advisor | Ken Kennedy |
Kathryn S. McKinley is an American computer scientist. She is famous for her work on compilers, which are programs that translate computer code. She also researches runtime systems and computer architecture, which is how computers are designed. Kathryn McKinley is also known for helping more people get involved in computer science.
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About Kathryn McKinley
Kathryn McKinley studied at Rice University. She earned her first degree in computer science and engineering in 1985. She continued her studies there, getting a master's degree in computer science in 1990. Then, she completed her Ph.D. in computer science from Rice University in 1992.
Her Journey in Academia
In 1993, she started working as a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She became an associate professor there in 1999. In 2001, she moved to the University of Texas at Austin. She became a full professor in 2005. By 2010, she was named an endowed professor, which is a special honor.
Working at Google
In 2011, Kathryn McKinley joined Microsoft Research as a main researcher. Today, she is a Distinguished Software Engineer at Google. This means she is a very important engineer who helps design software.
Her Family Life
Kathryn McKinley is married to Scotty Strahan. They have three sons named Cooper, Dylan, and Wyatt Strahan.
Her Amazing Work in Computer Science
Kathryn McKinley has made many important contributions to computer science. Her work helps computers run faster and more efficiently.
Improving Computer Memory
She and her team created the Hoard memory allocator. This is a special tool used in computer programs like those on Apple's OS X. It helps computers manage their memory better. Hoard makes sure that when many parts of a program need memory at the same time, they don't slow each other down. It also prevents wasted memory space.
Making Java Programs Better
Kathryn McKinley led a research group called DaCapo. This group worked on improving how Java programs run. They created special tools and tests that are now used by many universities and companies. These tools help make Java programs faster and more reliable.
New Ways to Clean Up Memory
Based on their research, McKinley and her colleague Stephen Blackburn designed a new type of memory cleaner called the Immix mark-region collector. This system helps computers manage their memory in a very smart way. It makes programs run faster and use less memory.
Helping Others in Computing
Kathryn McKinley is also a leader in helping more people join the field of computing. She was a co-chair for CRA-W from 2011 to 2014. This organization works to increase the number of women in computer science and engineering.
In 2013, she spoke to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. She talked about how computer research helps drive new ideas and economic growth in many areas.
Awards and Recognition
Kathryn McKinley has received many awards for her important work.
- In 2008, she was named an ACM Fellow. This is a very high honor in computer science.
- She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023.
- She received the ACM SIGPLAN Programming Languages Achievement Award in 2023. This award recognized her major contributions to compilers and memory management.
- She also received the ACM SIGMETRICS Test of Time Award in 2014.
- In 2011, she became an IEEE Fellow.
- She won the ACM SIGPLAN Programming Languages Software Award in 2012 for her work on Jikes RVM.
- In 2011, she received the ACM SIGPLAN Distinguished Service Award.
- She was named an ACM Distinguished Scientist in 2006.
See also
In Spanish: Kathryn S. McKinley para niños
