Fran Allen and the Turing Award
Welcome to our new Anita Borg Institute blog!!! It seems particularly appropriate to write my first blog today, because last Saturday night I had the chance to see Fran Allen receive the Turing award, the Nobel Prize of the Computing discipline. Fran is the first woman to receive this award in its 40 year history.
I’ve known Fran Allen for many years – she serves on the Institute’s Advisory Board, and is actively involved in a number of our efforts. Fran was the program chair for the 1997 Grace Hopper Conference, and received the inaugural Anita Borg Technical Leadership award in 2004.
Obviously Fran’s technical achievements are extraordinary; her impact on the word of compilers is important and has changed the discipline. But Fran has also consistently demonstrated a commitment to the people in Computing. She always makes a mentoring a priority, when we talk she proudly boasts about the accomplishments of many of her mentees – men and women. Since the Turing award recipient was announced, many people have taken me aside to inquire about her – both senior executives as well as young women, more frequently than I’ve been asked about anyone. To quote one, “I really want to meet this women”, a reminder to me about how important role models are even for the most successful people. The women and men I know are proud.
I have no question that the impact of Fran being acknowledged for her achievements is significant. I look forward to the day when a woman receiving the Turing award is not noteworthy because it is a common event.