Mark R. Blackburn, Ph.D.

Experience:

Dr. Blackburn is a Fellow at the Systems and Software Consortium (SSCI). He works with members on a wide variety of software and system engineering topics. His current efforts are focused on helping members improve software systems engineering by understanding how to adopt model driven engineering (MDE) methods, tools, and practices. He is developing guidelines called Integrated Engineering though Models that includes modeling adoption practices and relates to a survey on modeling tools. Other recent efforts include research into academic and industry trends such as Advanced Computing Architectures, Cyber-Physical Systems, autonomous, adaptive, self-managing systems, as well as domain specific languages, the use of Bayesian nets for modeling software reliability, model-based verification of web services underlying service oriented architectures, and development of guidelines for safety-based software assurance for an SSCI member. He has developed and frequently delivers webinars and multi-day training courses related to MDE.

Dr. Blackburn is creator and lead of the model-based test automation framework project (TAF). The TAF integrates with T-VEC tools for requirement and design-based modeling, modeling checking, requirement management, and test automation tools. He used the TAF tools to quickly identify the bug that is the likely cause of the Mars Touchdown Lander crash and proved the T-VEC tools could deliver life-critical and mission-critical software without defects. Much of his training and consulting effort has been in support of technology transfer of model-based tools and the associated process tailoring that is required for adoption within large companies. He has actively participated on model-based efforts for aircraft systems, avionics, medical, automotive, telecomm, database, security, information system, smart cards, and other defense system applications.

Dr. Blackburn has been the principal investigator to the National Institute of Standards and Technology on nine continuously running projects dating back to 2000 involving model-based verification of security related products and applications.

Dr. Blackburn has been involved in applied research and advanced technology demonstrations for architecture for real-time embedded systems, safety-critical software, formal methods approaches to high assurance, requirement specification and model-based verification, model-based verification of security properties, web-based knowledge engineering, domain engineering, reverse engineering of programs to specifications, and object technology.

From 1988 to 1993 he co-developed and applied T-VEC on flight critical, real-time embedded systems that were FAA certified.

From 1983-1988 he was involved in the graphics processor development of a flight critical electronic flight instrumentation system that was also FAA certified.

From 1979 to 1982 he was involved in applied research and development of a formal specification-based methodology and associated tool system.

Education:

Ph.D. Information Technology, George Mason University,
M.S. Mathematics (emphasis in C.S.), Florida Atlantic University, and
B.S. Mathematics (C.S. option), Minor in EE, Arizona State University.

SSCI Reports,
Courses,
Papers: