The Grainger College of Engineering

Duncan H Lawrie

Duncan H Lawrie
Duncan H Lawrie
  • Professor Emeritus

Biography

Duncan Lawrie (MS CS ’69, PhD ’73), an academic leader in high-performance computing, contributed to the design of the ILLIAC IV, Burroughs Scientific Processor, and Cedar. He helped shape computing’s direction through service on numerous policy committees and as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society president. As head of then-Computer Science at Illinois from 1990 to 1996, he helped to strengthen alumni relations, to introduce Senior Projects, and to launch the school’s first webpage.

Until 1998, he chaired the University of Illinois Information Technology Sector and served on the executive committee of the Digital Library Projects, as well as many committees.

Lawrie’s extensive publishing on the subjects of design and evaluation of computer architecture focused largely in the areas of networks for tightly coupled multiprocessors, virtual memory performance, and the use of mass file storage devices.

His participation in policy committees is extensive:

  • A panel to design a five-year plan for Applied Mathematical Sciences (DOE)
  • Class VI computing (NSF) committee on alternative technologies
  • National Research Council committee on supercomputer performance evaluation
  • Committee chartered by the Federal Coordinating Council on Science and Engineering Technology which made recommendations for national policies pertaining to computing technology and contributed to the recommendations on supercomputing and networking issued by OSTP
  • Committee on Scientific Supercomputing — a standing committee under the IEEE U.S. Activities Board
  • Chaired the Science Advisory Committee of the Institute for Defense Analyses’ Supercomputing Research Center.

Lawrie served as an editor of the Computer Architecture and Systems Department of the Communications of the ACM and editor-in-chief of the IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems. In addition to serving as President of IEEE Computer Society, he was on the Board of Directors of the Computer Research Association.

A selection of additional commendations and memberships:

  • Computer Science at Illinois Distinguished Alumni Service Award (2014)
  • Outstanding Electrical Engineer by Purdue University (1996).
  • Lifetime member of IEEEE
  • Certified NRA Instructor and Chief Range Safety Officer.
  • FCC Amateur Extra License and FCC/ARRL Volunteer Examiner
  • TS-SCI clearance

Lawrie was also a graduate of the UI Police Training Institute (PTI), and served on the PTI Training Advisory Board. He was active in the UIUC Faculty-Staff Firearms Safety Program.

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