Barbara Lerner

Associate Professor of Computer Science

Specialization

Software engineering, software process, process definition languages, software design, persistent type evolution

Barbara Lerner’s research focuses on the definition of languages used to define processes formally. A process is any activity that involves the coordination of multiple people and possibly software to accomplish a shared task. Processes are naturally found in many organizations. The medical profession is particularly process-driven as most medical procedures involve many people, such as doctors, nurses, patients, technical staff and pharmacists, carrying out appropriate activities to accomplish a specific goal, such as performing a blood transfusion or giving chemotherapy.

Lerner explains that processes such as these are typically defined in an informal manner.  "If done carefully, these serve as good tools for communication and training.  Formal definition of these processes, however, allows for more rigorous study of the processes leading to insights about inefficiencies in the process, as well as insights into ways in which the processes might fail. These insights, in turn, lead to improved processes," she says.

In addition, Lerner is interested in software design, particularly in design techniques that lead to more maintainable software as well as programming techniques that allow software design to be more directly visible within the final code.   

She previously was a research assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts and an assistant professor at Williams College.

At Mount Holyoke, Lerner has introduced a course in software design. She also teaches an introductory networking course for non-majors, object-oriented programming and algorithms.