June 11, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jeff Gray, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS), has recently been named a winner of the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award. The award, which comes with a $400,000 grant, is presented annually to a selected number of faculty members at universities across the nation.

The grant will provide support for new lines of research in model-driven engineering, and also for Gray’s initiation of activities that improve the awareness of computing in Alabama. According to the NSF, the CAREER award “supports exceptionally promising university faculty members who are committed to the integration of research and education. The award recognizes young faculty members who are likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.”

Gray describes model-driven engineering as a programming process that allows end-users to arrive at solutions to problems using a computer, but in a language familiar to the users. For instance, automotive engineers could reprogram a factory’s robotic system with such a system, which would “hide” the complex layers of programming beneath an operating process designed for the engineers to use.

In addition to supporting Gray’s research, the grant also will provide support for educational opportunities for K-12, undergraduate and post-graduate students. Some of the outreach efforts include a high school programming contest, giving guest talks to school science classes and clubs, hosting field trips, mentoring for science fair project preparation and hosting summer science camps.

More information about the specific research and outreach activities supported by this award can be found at http://www.cis.uab.edu/gray.

Gray came to UAB in 2002 after receiving his doctorate in computer science from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va.

Since the inception of the CAREER award in 1995, Gray is the fourth faculty member at UAB to receive the award and the first within the CIS Department. Anthony Skjellum, Ph.D., chair of the UAB CIS Department, was a recipient of the CAREER while at Mississippi State University.