Computer scientist Gabriele Keller has been appointed to the post of Professor of Software Technology at Utrecht University as of 1 September 2018. Keller's research is extremely influential internationally in the fields of functional programming, type systems, and high-performance computing. Her appointment will help reinforce Utrecht's tradition of excellence in software technology.
The German-born Keller has spent the past 19 years working at universities in Sydney and Credit Suisse in New York. In Sydney, she was co-founder of the Programming Language and Systems Group at the University of New South Wales. Keller works on the development of programming languages for high-performance computing.
A common thread running through Keller's research is how to deal with social problems using recent advances in programming language theory, and to make the technology more accessible to laypersons. "Computer systems are omnipresent in our society, which has a direct influence on the economy and on the security of the users of many products and services", says Keller.
Gabriele Keller is the third new professor to be appointed at Utrecht University's Department of Computer Science in 2018. As a result of the increasing importance of digitisation and computer science in society, and the related growth in the number of students, the department is currently undergoing rapid expansion. The research conducted by Keller's group will contribute to Utrecht University's research focus area of Game Research. Keller will also collaborate intensively with groups outside the Computer Science department and with industry partners.