September 2, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Frances E. Allen, a computer science pioneer who was the first female to be named both an A.M. Turing Award winner and an IBM Fellow, will conduct a free and open-to-the-public lecture inside the UAB Hill University Center Alumni Auditorium from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14.

Allen's 2006 Turing Award is considered by the computer science community to be the Nobel Prize of computing, according to UAB computer science Professor Barrett Bryant, Ph.D. Her lecture is sponsored by the UAB Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) and the university's student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery.

Allen, whom Bryant calls a trailblazer and mentor for women in science, computing and engineering, will address the following question in her talk: Will the rate at which computing capabilities develop continue or has the field reached a tipping point? Allen will draw on all of her experiences during a 45-year career with IBM to suggest answers.

Barrett considers Allen's visit a milestone for UAB CIS because it is the first department-sponsored seminar to feature a Turing Award winner.

About UAB

The Department of Computer and Information Sciences is located within the UAB College of Arts and Sciences. Its undergraduate program provides a bachelor's of science degree with the opportunity to minor in another discipline, as well as co-op programs with local industry. CIS also offers programs of study leading to master's and doctoral degrees, as well as interdisciplinary bioinformatics and computer forensics programs.