Susan Gerhart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Gerhart
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| Alma mater | Ohio Wesleyan University, University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | Duke University, Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |
| Thesis | Verification of APL Programs (1972) |
| Doctoral advisor | Donald W. Loveland |
Susan Gerhart is a smart computer scientist who has now mostly retired. She has spent her career working with computers and teaching others about them.
Contents
Learning and Degrees
Susan Gerhart studied math and computer science at several universities. She earned her first degree in Mathematics from Ohio Wesleyan University. Then, she got a master's degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Michigan.
Later, she earned her PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. A PhD is the highest degree you can get in a field of study. For her PhD, she wrote a big paper called "Verification of APL Programs" in 1972. She has said that the launch of Sputnik, the first satellite in space, made her want to study science.
Her Work
Teaching Computer Science
Susan Gerhart has taught computer science and software engineering at many places. She taught at Toronto, Duke University, the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
She also started a special project. This project helped create lessons to make computer systems safer, especially for things like airplanes. Her work led to several papers and lessons. One of these lessons was about "buffer overflow vulnerabilities," which are ways computer programs can be tricked into making mistakes.
She also wrote other important papers. These include "Toward a theory of test data selection" and "Do Web search engines suppress controversy?".
Helping Women in Computing
In 1987, Susan Gerhart helped start a group called Systers. This group is a very old and large online community for women who work in computing. It helps them connect and support each other.
Advocacy for Vision Loss
Susan Gerhart has a personal connection to macular degeneration, which is an eye condition that can cause vision loss. Because of this, she runs a blog called "As Your World Changes." On her blog, she shares how people can use technology, like podcasts, to help with vision loss.
In 2009, she gave a speech at a big conference called IEEE on Software Testing. She talked about how to make technology easier to use for people with disabilities.
