Institute Professor Announcement

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Barbara H. Liskov as an Institute Professor. As you know, this special rank is the highest honor that the faculty of MIT can bestow on one of its colleagues.  It recognizes exceptional distinction by a combination of leadership, accomplishment, and service in the scholarly, educational, and general intellectual life of the Institute and wider community.

In Barbara’s case, the appointment recognizes her role as a leading figure in the computer programming languages and systems research community for well over three decades. She is admired among her colleagues for seminal contributions to solving problems that are both important and difficult. Her results, which typically combine deep intellectual insight with embodiments of those insights in working systems, have proved to be of lasting value.  Barbara’s work has had impact beyond the walls of academia, influencing research by industry and the world’s community of software engineers.  Her record of achievement exemplifies the spirit of mens et manus so valued by the Institute.

In addition to her leadership in research, she is being recognized for her enormous contributions to MIT as both an educator and outstanding citizen of the Institute.  Barbara has taught almost every software-oriented subject in the EECS curriculum, and made intellectual contributions to each.  Her former graduate students hold many prominent positions in both academia and industry.  Her tenure as EECS Associate Department Head left a lasting legacy in the extraordinary young faculty members she helped bring to MIT. Finally, her tireless efforts as head of the Gender Equity Committee in the School of Engineering, Co-Chair of the council on Faculty Diversity, and now Associate Provost for Faculty Equity speak to Barbara’s dedication to MIT and her commitment to its values.

Please join us in congratulating Barbara on this well deserved honor.

Sincerely,

L. Rafael Reif
Provost

Bishwapriya Sanyal
Chair of the Faculty