| Mary Jean Harrold | |
| Birth Date: | 12 March 1947 |
| Death Place: | Huntington, WV |
| Nationality: | American |
| Fields: | Computer Science |
| Workplaces: | Georgia Institute of Technology Ohio State University Clemson University University of Pittsburgh |
| Alma Mater: | Marshall University University of Pittsburgh |
| Doctoral Advisor: | Mary Lou Soffa |
| Known For: | software engineering |
| Awards: | ACM Fellow (2003) IEEE Fellow (2011) |
Mary Jean Harrold (March 12, 1947 – September 19, 2013) was an American computer scientist noted for her research on software engineering. She was also noted for her leadership in broadening participation in computing. She was on the boards of both CRA and CRA-W and was Co-Chair of CRA-W from 2003 to 2006.[1]
Harrold received a B.A. in Mathematics in 1970 and a M.S. in Mathematics in 1975, both from Marshall University. Harrold taught secondary mathematics in West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania from 1970 to 1982. She then attended graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh. She received a M.S. in Computer Science in 1985 and a Ph.D in Computer Science in 1988, both from University of Pittsburgh. Her dissertation adviser was Prof. Mary Lou Soffa.
She stayed at the University of Pittsburgh as a visiting assistant professor. Then in 1990 she started at Clemson University as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1995. In 1996 she started as an assistant professor at Ohio State University and was promoted to associate professor in 1998. In 1999, she moved to the Georgia Institute of Technology as an associate professor, and was promoted to professor in 2003.
Harrold was involved with the SIGSOFT community. She was General Chair of the conference SIGSOFT in 2008.[2]
Mary Jean Harrold was named an ACM Fellow in 2003.[3]
In 2004, as a current CRA-W co-chair, Harrold (along with Prof. Carla Ellis and Dr. Jan Cuny) accepted the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) award on behalf of CRA-W, for "significant achievements in mentoring women across educational levels".[4] [5]
Her other notable awards include: