Another honor for UNC computer science pioneer Fred Brooks: His name on a building
Fred Brooks with bust of him that now resides in the Faculty Conference Room of the building that bears his name. (UNC photo)
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Fred Brooks, the award-winning researcher who helped create supercomputers at IBM and later founded the computer sciences department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is receiving another honor. This one comes from the school where he teaches.
On Friday, the new 30,000 square foot Computer Science Building was named in his honor.
“Fred has educated and inspired hundreds of our students and faculty members and has done so with his trademark understated style,” UNC-CH Chancellor Holden Thorp said. “When we celebrate the computer science department and this new building, we are really celebrating Fred Brooks’ foresight, persistence and collegiality, all of which are hallmarks of the department, the College and the University.”
Brooks is Kenan Professor of Computer Science. He is credited with creating the term “computer architecture” and in 1963 published a book about automatic data processing.
In 1964, Brooks launched the UNC computer science department and went on to be a pioneer in 3D and virtual reality research. He remains actively involved in cutting-edge technology development.
Over the years, Brooks-led projects have received funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval research.
Next year, Brooks will publish a series of essays in book form called “The Design of Design.” His book “The Mythical Man-Month,” published more than 30 years ago, focused on software project management when software was hardly the field it is today.
His many awards include the “A.M. Turning Award,” which is regarded as the Nobel prize of Computing.
For the record, here is a list of his awards as provided on Brooks’ Web page:
• National Medal of Technology (1985)
• A.M. Turing Award, Association for Computing Machinery (1999)
• Bower Award and Prize in Science, Franklin Institute (1995)
• Eckert-Mauchly Award, Association for Computing Machinery and The Institute
• of Electrical and Electronics Engineers–Computer Society (2004)
• Allen Newell Award, Association for Computing Machinery (1994)
• John von Neumann Medal, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1993)
• Harry Goode Memorial Award, American Federation of Information Processing Societies (1989)
• McDowell Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Computer Art, IEEE Computer Group (1970)
• Distinguished Service Award, Association for Computing Machinery (1987)
• Honorary Doctor of Technical Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich (1991)
• Distinguished Fellow, British Computer Society (1994)
• Foreign Member, Royal Academy of Engineering, U.K. (1994)
• Foreign Member, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (1991)
• Member, National Academy of Science (2001)
• Member, National Academy of Engineering (1976)
• Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1976)
• Guggenheim Fellowship for studies on computer architecture and human factors
• of computer systems, Cambridge University, England (1975)
• Computer Pioneer Award, IEEE Computer Society (1982)
• Fellow (initial inductee), Association for Computer Machinery (1994)
• Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (1968)
• Fellow Award, The Computer Museum History Center (2001)
• Thomas Jefferson Award, UNC-Chapel Hill (1986)
• Order of the Golden Fleece, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Computer Sciences Distinguished Information Services Award, Information Technology
• Professionals (1970)
• National Science Board (1987-1992)
• Defense Science Board (1983-86)
• Chairman, Military Software Task Force (1985-87)
• Member, Computers in Simulation and Training Task Force (1986-87)
• Member, Artificial Intelligence Task Force (1983-84)
• CyberEdge Journal Annual Sutherland Award (April, 1997)
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