Grad student, professor recognized for computer industry paper

MESA, Ariz. — The leading electrical engineering and computer science association recently recognized an Arizona State University graduate student and professor for their paper on how to make the Web more productive.

Computer science grad student John T. E. Timm and Division of Computing Studies assistant professor Gerald Gannod authored "A Model-Driven Approach for Specifying Semantic Web Services," which was recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE). Timm presented the paper at the International Conference on Web Services in July.

Timm and Gannod's paper presents an approach for developing specifications of semantic Web services, using an approach called model-driven development, where models of semantic Web services are constructed using the industry standard Unified Modeling Language (UML). Semantic Web services allow for interpretable, machine-understandable data from which computers can draw conclusions.

"The paper was awarded as the best paper first authored by a student," says Gannod, who was second author on the paper and is Timm's Ph.D. advisor. "The award is significant in that it recognizes the quality research being performed at universities."

Gannod adds that more than 450 papers were submitted for review by leading researchers in the Web services area prior to the conference. The conference has an audience of researchers from universities and labs, as well as practitioners.