Name: Dennis Frailey
Title: Senior Fellow
Company: Raytheon Systems Company
Contact Info:
http://www.seas.smu.edu/~frailey
How I arrived at my present job (academic and other influences): After earning my PhD in Computer Science at Purdue in 1971, I became an assistant professor of computer science at Southern Methodist University. Although I loved teaching (and still do it on a part time basis), I quickly learned that survival in academia is based on "research", not education. And the numbers game rewards you for cranking out large numbers of papers rather than small numbers of really good papers. I did some innovative research in the areas of real time operating systems and computer architecture, but I found most of the really interesting work in these fields was being done in industry. I found myself more and more involved with industry, doing part time consulting, summer jobs, getting support for research projects, etc. And when I was granted tenure, I learned that the research that counted the most was what I had done for industry and could not have done in academia. Moreover, there is a certain sense of satisfaction one gets from building a real product that one cannot get by writing research papers. This led me to consider and ultimately to accept a permanent move to industry, which I did in 1977.
Once in industry, at the corporate engineering center of Texas Instruments (now part of Raytheon), I discovered something else. Most of the real problems are not to be found in the research labs but in the areas where real products are being planned and developed. Thus I migrated from doing computer architecture research to actually building computer and software systems that had to work. This gave me a deeper appreciation of the intellectual challenges and rewards associated with "getting dirt under your fingernails" so to speak. It also gave me a totally different understanding of what software "engineering" is. As a CS student and faculty member, I had seen software development as a kind of intellectual game. Once I had to make reliable systems that peoples' lives depend on, I began to appreciate the need for "engineering discipline" and for greater emphasis on understanding the processes we use to develop software. This led me to move into new parts of the company where I learned about different kinds of issues. Many years later, my varied background has qualified me for a senior technical position where I am expected to understand the entire scope of a problem, from the technical details to the management concerns. I now spend most of my time evaluating project plans, helping projects get out of technical and management difficulties, and codifying our best practices into training courses and white papers. I also carry these back to the university where I teach as an adjunct professor.
How I organize my day: I start by sifting through email. Although this takes a lot of time, I find that I also get a lot done via email. In fact, I consider it one of the great productivity enhancements for my job. Then I typically take care of urgent business and left-over priorities from the previous day. Often there is a meeting or two that I must attend, such as a program review or a meeting to discuss a technical problem. Typically I get to "real work" (work where I actually write something or produce something) toward the end of the day.
Amount of time spent working daily (at home and office): This is typically 10 or more hours when you include what I do for my adjunct teaching. Because I like this work I don't keep very good track of the time and don't regret the fact that it typically takes more than 8 hours a day. I often spend an hour or two on my computer at home after I get home from the office. The advantage is fewer interruptions.
What I do to get myself thinking creatively: When I was younger, I thought creativity meant getting rid of all structure so you would not bias yourself. But I have learned better. Too much of my former "creative" time was really cleaning up mundane clutter and too little of it was solving real problems. Today I find that being organized, having processes and approaches for doing my work, gives me a "scaffold", if you will, for thinking creatively. It helps alleviate the clutter and enables me to focus on the problems.
Another critical element is to avoid focusing too much on one thing. I read a lot in many subject areas, I do many different things, and I talk to a lot of people. When I listen to somebody else I try to understand what they are saying and envision ways that their issues relate to things I know about. I have gotten some of my best creative insights by listening to people whom I might have ignored in younger days.
And finally, I have learned to escape the trap of becoming so enamored with one method or approach or system that you don't learn from the alternative ways. One of the biggest mistakes a computer specialist can make is to become too enamored with one brand of computer, one programming language, one design method, or one set of software development tools.
My problem-solving strategy: Make a model of the problem or of a potential solution, getting increasingly more abstract if necessary to get yourself focused away from the clutter of irrelevant details. Then you can begin to see generic pictures and patterns. As an example, when two factions have different opinions, try to pull back to the bigger picture - what are their ultimate objectives and their common goals. Often their disagreements are over methods, not over purposes.
What I do to relieve stress: I listen to good music (jazz and classical) whenever I can. It is amazing what this can do for you. I partipate in professional activities (such as writing this description of myself) that get my mind off of other matters. I also find that teaching is a great stress reliever for those in industry because you have such a different environment. I also do logic and numerical puzzles while riding on airplanes or waiting in lines - to keep my mind going.
My hero, mentor, or person I most admire and why: One man I admire is Eugene Helms, who was my first boss at Texas Instruments. He would often sit through a meeting, say very little except asking a few questions, and in the end would sum up the most important points - i.e., he listened, thought about what he was hearing, and put it all together. He also trusted those who worked for him to know more about their specialties than he did. As a result, he could see the big picture better than just about anyone else. He was kind and supportive, and he would stand up for what was right.
What I do to mentor those who work for me: Nobody works for me these days, but I support many people. I put together various training courses and also teach them. I have organized a number of educational programs for people seeking to advance in their careers. And I provide career and academic advice on a regular basis. I also do ACM lectures and various other kinds of seminars and talks. I sponsored the "golden apple" award - something we give out for individuals who exhibit outstanding mentoring skills.
How a negative event changed my life in a positive way: There are many examples to choose from. One of the biggest was when I was told one day that I was "on the surplus list" and needed to find another job within a week or be laid off. This was a terrible psychological blow and I was devastated. But I found a job in a stronger division of the company, moved to a new city, built a good reputation there, and have advanced farther in my career than would have been possible in the old organization. I also learned that I could weather such adversity - this helped me weather a few other negative events later in my life.
One event or decision in my life I wish I could go back and change: I decided not to take statistics when in college (as a math major) because the professor had a reputation of being a tough grader and I was trying to maintain a high grade point average. This was a bad decision. My entire career has been hindered by my lack of sufficient knowledge of statistics. Nobody ever asks about my grade point average.
What values are the most important to me and what I value in others: Honesty, open mindedness, willingness to get involved and help solve the problem, ability to listen, dependability. Of these, I find true open mindedness to be the most rare.
What inspires, motivates, or gets me excited about my job on a daily basis: The challenge of having a problem to solve and of contributing to its solution.
Biography:
EDUCATION: Ph.D. 1971 Purdue University Computer Science
M.S. 1968 Purdue University Computer Science
B.S. 1966 University of Notre Dame Mathematics (magna cum laude)
AREAS OF TECHNICAL SPECIALIZATION: Software Engineering, Cycle Time,
Engineering Development Processes, Computer Architecture, Operating
Systems, Compiler Optimization, Applied Artificial Intelligence,
Distance Education.
GOALS: To remain an active participant in the vital field of
computing and to share what I have learned with others through
teaching, writing and speaking.
AWARDS and ACHIEVEMENTS:
Over 75 refereed publications and over 100 technical presentations,
including authorship of articles on computer architecture for two
encyclopedias. Participation in many program committees and other
professional activities, a few of which are indicated below.
Senior Fellow, Raytheon Systems Company.
ACM Fellow and IEEE Senior Member.
Vice Chair, ACM/IEEE-CS Software Engineering Coordinating Committee.
Cycle Time "Black Belt" designation, Texas Instruments.
Chair, Association for Software Engineering Excellence (1991-92).
ACM Vice President (1986-88).
Teaching Excellence award, U. of Texas Computer Science Dept.(1985)
Program Chair, National Computer Conference (1984).
NDEA Fellowship, Purdue University (1966-69)
Silver Medal, Michigan Mathematics Contest (1961)
Last Modified:
Location: www.acm.org/crossroads/dayinlife/bios/dennis_frailey.html