Susan Owicki facts for kids
Susan Owicki is an American computer scientist who has achieved a lot in her field. She is recognized as an Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Fellow, which is a big honor for computer scientists. She also helped start Systers, a special online group for women who work in computing. Later in her career, Susan changed paths and became a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Quick facts for kids
Susan Owicki
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Occupation | Computer scientist Marriage and family therapist |
| Known for | ACM Fellow |
| Spouse(s) | Jack Owicki |
| Children | Two |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Susan Owicki studied computer science at Cornell University. She earned her PhD degree there in 1975. Her main teacher, or advisor, was David Gries.
Important Computer Science Work
For her PhD, Susan Owicki created a new way to check if computer programs work correctly. This was especially important for programs that do many things at the same time, called "concurrent programs." Her method, called Interference freedom, helped make sure these complex programs ran without errors. This work became very important for others who developed similar programs.
Teaching at Stanford University
After finishing her studies, Susan Owicki became a professor at Stanford University. She taught in both the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments for 10 years. She researched topics like distributed systems, which are computer systems spread across different computers, and how to make online shopping safe. She wrote many articles and received patents for her inventions.
In 1994, Susan Owicki was named an ACM Fellow. This award recognized her important work on proving that parallel programs work correctly.
Career in the Tech Industry
After her time at Stanford, Susan Owicki worked for a company called Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC).
She later joined the Strategic Technologies and Architectural Research Laboratory (STAR lab). Here, she was an Associate Director. This lab was one of the first places to research digital rights management. This technology helps protect digital content, like music or movies, from being copied without permission.
Susan Owicki also spent four years working as an independent consultant. She helped companies figure out how to make interactive television work better and how to deliver streaming videos smoothly.
Helping People as a Therapist
In the early 2000s, Susan Owicki decided to change her career. She became a licensed marriage and family therapist. This means she helps couples and families work through their problems and improve their relationships. She has her own private practice and also works at the Stanford University faculty and staff help center.
Personal Life
Susan Owicki is married to Jack Owicki. They have two children together.
Inventions and Patents
Susan Owicki has several patents for her inventions. A patent is like a special license that protects an invention. Her patents include:
- A system for finding and removing old, unused data in computer networks.
- Methods for adding hidden information, like a watermark, to software and other digital media.
