CSAIL Principal Investigator Harold (Hal) Abelson has been named the recipient of the 2012 SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education. The award is presented annually in recognition of significant contributions to computer science education.
Abelson is the Class of 1922 Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and a fellow of the IEEE. He played key roles in fostering educational initiatives at MIT, including OpenCourseWare, which allows individuals worldwide to take MIT classes online, and DSpace, an online library for MIT research materials. Along with CSAIL Principal Investigator Gerald Sussman, Abelson developed MIT’s introductory computer science subject, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, which is widely credited with having a global impact on computer-science education at the university level.
The award will be presented at the 43rd SIGCSE Technical Symposium, where Abelson will be giving a plenary address.
For more information on Abelson’s work, visit http://www.csail.mit.edu/user/1535.