|
|
CONTACT: Virginia Gold
IMMEDIATE
Originated Groundbreaking Entity-Relationship Model for Information Systems New York, January 22, 2003 -- The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has recognized Dr. Peter Chen with the 2002 Allen Newell Award for significant contributions to data modeling and software engineering. Dr. Chen invented the Entity-Relationship (ER) model, which serves as the basis for many systems analysis and design methodologies and supporting tools. The ER Model was a driving force behind Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE), for which he made pioneering technical contributions. The Allen Newell Award, which is cosponsored by ACM and the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), comes with a cash prize of $10,000. Dr. Chen developed rigorous mathematical formulations and widely accepted graphic notations of the Entity-Relationship model, which has become a fundamental tool for describing human perceptions of the world. He led a programming team that developed early commercial CASE tools that were adopted as corporate standards for Exxon and AT&T and are widely used in business applications. ER concepts are also commonly acknowledged as a major component of object-oriented (OO) analysis techniques. "Dr. Chen's work on ER modeling and relational data bases are major pillars supporting daily operations and decision-making in software engineering," said John R. White, Executive Director and CEO of ACM. "It is difficult to imagine how we could process and integrate huge amounts of data without these achievements," he said. "Entity and relationship concepts have potential applications in the World Wide Web and other new software frontiers," said Dr. Chen, noting that the contributions of many researchers and practitioners presented at annual ER conferences since 1979 have significantly extended his original ideas about ER models to many disciplines. He said the recognition provided by the Newell Award offers much encouragement to software designers and developers, who play an important role in computing. Dr. Chen credited his Chinese cultural heritage in influencing his efforts to model the world, noting that both Chinese characters and the ER model use graphics to represent entities in the real world. Dr. Chen is the Murphy J. Foster Distinguished Chair Professor of Computer Science at Louisiana State University. He has been a visiting professor of computer science at Harvard University and MIT, and is a consultant to a variety of government agencies and major corporations. His paper on the ER model was published in the first issue of ACM's Transactions on Database Systems in March 1976. ACM will present the Allen Newell Award at the annual ACM Awards Banquet on June 7, at the Town and Country Conference Center in San Diego, CA. The award was named for Allen Newell, a pioneer in artificial intelligence. About ACM The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is a major force in advancing the skills of information technology professionals and students. ACM serves its global membership by delivering cutting edge technical information and transferring ideas from theory to practice. ACM hosts the computing industry's leading Portal to Computing Literature. With its world-class journals and magazines, dynamic special interest groups, numerous conferences, workshops and electronic forums, ACM is a primary resource for the information technology field. For additional information about ACM, visit our web site at www.acm.org. |
