Garvita's CS Heroes

Major Academic Events: Guido Van Rossum first earned a M.S. in mathematics and computer science in 1982 at the University of Amsterdam. He wrote Python over a holiday break in 1989 because he wanted a language that was convenient for quick and dirty tasks. As per his worklife, he worked at Google from 2005 to 2012 as well as at the Stichting Academisch Rekencentrum Amsterdam. Since 2013, Rossum has been working on a static type analyzer for Python at Dropbox.

Contributions to Computer Science: He is most famous for being the creator of the Python programming language. However, he also contributed to the BSD Unix system, was part of the team that worked on a language called ABC, worked with various research institutes to help with the development of technology and programming, was the Benevolent Dictator For Life, and is still an active member of the python community.

Major Academic Events: Mark Dean earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1979. He pursued a M.S. degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1982 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1992. Dean was hired by IBM as a chief engineer on the personal computer project. Additionally, he was made an IBM Fellow (highest honor), appointed Vice President of IBM, and inducted into the National Inventor Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was elected into the National Academy of Engineering. Mark Dean is now the the John Fisher Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee.

Contributions to Computer Science: Dean was one of the most important figures in the development of the PC. He helped develop the IBM PS/2 Models 70 and 80 and the Color Graphic Adapter. Dean directed the creation of the first gigahertz chip, overseed the IBM Almaden Research Center in California, and served as the chief technology officer for IBM Middle East and Africa. Lastly, he created the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) systems bus. This allowed disk drives, printers and monitors to be plugged directly into computers, which lead to efficiency and better integration.

Major Academic Events: At thirteen years old, Alan Turing went to Sherborne School and then attended college from 1931 to 1934. He studied mathematics and cryptology at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. In 1938, Turing earned a PhD.

Contributions to Computer Science: Throughout his short life, Turing made foundational contributions to AI, theoretical biology, and cryptography. To begin with, Turing created the Turing machine, where a machine can read the instructions from a tape and write to the tape. This is became the basic model of a computer. Then, he was recruited by the British government to crack the German Enigma Code during World War 2. Turing also created the Turing test used to define and determine the intelligence of artificial intelligence, and he often wrote papers for what he studied. Additionally, Alan Turing helped in creating the mathematical model for modern computers today.