Muffy Calder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Muffy Calder
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Calder at the University of St Andrews in 2013
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Muffy Thomas
21 May 1958 |
| Alma mater | University of Stirling (BSc) University of St Andrews (PhD) |
| Known for | feature interaction problem Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland |
| Spouse(s) | David James Calder (1998-present) |
| Awards | FRSE (2000) FIEE (2002) FBCS (2002) OBE (2011) FREng (2013) DSc (2024) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | formal methods |
| Institutions | University of Glasgow University of Stirling University of St Andrews University of Edinburgh |
| Thesis | The imperative implementation of algebraic data types (1988) |
| Doctoral advisor | Roy Dyckhoff |
Dame Muffy Calder, born Muffy Thomas on May 21, 1958, is a brilliant computer scientist from Canada who now lives in Britain. She works at the University of Glasgow as a Vice-Principal and a Professor. She teaches about "Formal Methods," which is a way to make sure computer systems work perfectly. From 2012 to 2015, she was the main science advisor for the Scottish Government.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Muffy Thomas was born in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. She studied computer science at the University of Stirling, where she earned her first degree. Later, she completed her PhD in computational science at the University of St Andrews in 1987. Her PhD supervisor was Roy Dyckhoff. Before she married David Calder in 1998, she published many important papers using her birth name, Thomas.
Career and Leadership Roles
Since 1988, Professor Calder has worked at the University of Glasgow. She was the Dean of Research for the College of Science and Engineering until 2012. On March 1, 2012, she became the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Scottish Government. This meant she gave expert science advice to the government.
Professor Calder has also led important groups in computing research. She was the Chair of the UK Computing Research Committee. She also chaired the British Computer Society Academy of Computing Research Committee. In 2015, she became the Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow. That same year, she joined the Council of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Research and Discoveries
Professor Calder's research focuses on using mathematics to understand and improve computer systems. She calls this "mathematical modelling and automated reasoning for concurrent, communicating systems." This means she uses math to build models of how computer systems work. Then, she uses special computer programs to check if these systems will behave correctly.
One of her most important contributions is her work on the "feature interaction problem." This happens when different features in a complex system, like a phone network, interfere with each other. Her research has helped solve these tricky problems. She has also applied computer science methods to study how living cells work. This includes looking at biochemical networks and cell signalling in bioinformatics. Her work in this area has led to many scientific papers.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Calder has received many important awards for her work. She was given the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011. This was for her excellent service to computer science. In 2020, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This higher honour was for her contributions to research and education. These awards are given by the British monarch to people who have done outstanding work.
She is also a member of several important scientific groups. These include:
- The Royal Society of Edinburgh (since 2000)
- The British Computer Society (since 2002)
- The Institution of Electrical Engineers (since 2002)
- The Royal Academy of Engineering (since 2013)
Being a "Fellow" of these societies means she is recognized as a leading expert in her field. In June 2024, the University of St Andrews gave her an honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degree. This was to celebrate her amazing contributions to computer science and her service to the wider scientific community. In 2012, The Herald newspaper listed her as the 21st most influential woman in Scotland.
