Anderson Lecture: Jeannette Wing

Denison University’s Anderson Lecture Series welcomes Executive Vice President for Research and Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University Jeannette Wing

Wing is a globally recognized leader in computer science, known for her seminal 2006 essay on “Computational Thinking,” which established the centrality of computer science concepts to problem-solving across diverse disciplines. In this essay Wing argues that computational thinking is a fundamental skill for everyone, and it involves solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior. Wing posits that computational thinking is about ideas and conceptualizing at multiple levels of abstraction. Ultimately, she asserts that computational thinking is a way that humans, not computers, think and it is for everyone, everywhere. 

Wing’s research expertise spans trustworthy AI, security and privacy, formal methods, and distributed systems. She was the first woman to serve as head of the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University and she served as the inaugural Avanessians Director of Columbia University’s Data Science Institute. Additionally Wing brings to conversations about computer science her expertise from the business sector, by her role as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Research overseeing global labs, and the governance sector, through her work as Assistant Director for the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation. 

Wing is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and other scientific societies including the National Academy of Engineering. She serves on several high- level advisory boards, including the American Academy for Arts and Sciences Board of Directors. Wing’s career bridges academia, industry, and government, where she has emphasized the application of computational thinking to real-world challenges. Wing holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

The Anderson Science Lecture is Denison’s annual convocation featuring a nationally known scientist and is supported by the J. Reid and Polly Anderson Endowment of Denison University.