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Mentor and first female IBM Fellow retires after nearly 45 years
Allen regards her recognition of IBM Fellow as a very high honor and achievement. She says, "It was an affirmation of the work I had been doing and the fact that the company had recognized it made me feel very, very good. It also meant that I could become a role model for women in a very specific way -- I think I already was, but it was a sort of endorsement for my role."
In the early 1950's, Allen received a degree in Education from Albany State Teacher's College -- now known as the State University of New York at Albany. She then attended the University of Michigan, where she earned an MA in mathematics. Brochures, entitled "My Fair Ladies" were distributed to women on campus in a recruitment effort to entice women technologists to join IBM. When Allen was offered this opportunity, she took advantage of it in an effort to save money and pay off student loans. However, what she intended to be a temporary arrangement became a 45-year career at IBM Research.
Technically speaking...
Allen has influenced IBM on a technical level, having spent the majority of her time working on compilers and large systems. Widely recognized for her fundamental work on the theory of program optimization and of leading PTRAN (Parallel Translations) project, she is regarded as a pioneer in the field of optimizing compilers, which she explains as "translating the language a program is written in into language appropriate for the hardware...to best exploit the performance potential of that hardware." Allen's personal contribution has been developing underlying algorithms that are effective across many types of hardware and in diverse situations.
Bringing friendship to fellowship
Along with Allen's technical achievements, she looks back on a long career of personally imprinting the lives of her colleagues. Her ability to cultivate relationships has been a stepping-stone to her success, and it is something that she encourages in her protégés. "When I meet with my mentees," says Allen, "I always like to give them the name of someone to go to next in hope that they will ultimately find what they are looking for...I encourage them to form relationships with those people."
Allen does not title any one person her mentor, rather she considers herself lucky to have had many "guardian angels" along her 45-year journey at IBM Research.
Allen prides herself on her involvement with IBM's mentor program, as she considers it an essential part of her daily routine. She recalls that in 1957 -- when she first joined IBM Research -- the idea of mentoring was not widespread outside the executive track. However, through formal and informal mentoring, Allen began seeking out new employees to guide them along their own personal paths to success. IBM was so overcome with Allen's commitment to mentoring that they established an award in her name, as an effort to promote the careers of technical men and women in IBM who have demonstrated "exemplary commitment to mentoring of technical women." In 2000, Allen, herself, was the first recipient of the "Frances E. Allen Women in Technology Mentoring Award". It has since been awarded to three of IBM's top mentors, including this year's recipients, June Andersen and Karin Duermeyer.
Encouraging her protégés to set realistic goals, Allen says, "I try to make them aware that moving ahead may not get them where they want to be." She further explains, "Many women enter the industry hoping to climb the corporate ladder rather quickly, but if and when they get there, they realize it is not what they had hoped for."
Allen recalls instances when she could not offer the encouragement protégés came seeking. In the hope to not discourage them, but rather guide them, she nonchalantly responds, "Now, why do you want to do that?" After repeated encounters like this, her protégés soon came to realize that this response was Allen's kind-hearted disapproval.
More to come...
Allen believes that people deserve recognition for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions. As fellow Emeritus, Allen will remain active on the External Awards Committee, as she says, "I want to establish awards for people. This is a wonderful community, and I want to make sure we are recognized accordingly."
After retiring, Allen will also continue to influence women's lives through mentoring. "I want to continue working with women. There is a lot more work to be done," says Allen.
Allen will also remain an active member of the Adventurous Research technical advisory team and the Review Board.
Allen is actively involved in her community and the environment. She is an avid hiker anticipating spending time in September climbing mountains in Italy.
In October, Allen will receive the Grace Hopper's Celebration of Women in Computing Award where she will be honored as one of the most successful women in the computing field. Allen is also the 2002 recipient of the Ada Lovelace award for her "outstanding scientific and technical achievements and extraordinary service to the computing community through her accomplishments and contributions on behalf of women in computing."
Forty-five years after IBM's "My Fair Lady" recruitment campaign, IBM is continuing its efforts to lure more women to join the world's finest researchers at IBM. EXCITE (Exploring Interests in Technology and Engineering) camps, Try Science!, SmartGrrls, Club Girl Tech are just four of IBM's programs targeted to young women in an effort to educate and empower them in technical areas. Allen is very proud of the rising number of women entering the IT industry from diverse areas of study.
As Allen transitions from IBM Fellow to Fellow Emeritus, women will continue making breakthroughs in technology at IBM. At the 2000 Women In Technology Convention, Lou Gerstner, Chairman of the Board, IBM, spoke to the conference about the need for IBM to nurture its technical women. "We're in a battle for technical talent right now," he said. "It's not strictly about money, it's about opportunity. It's about what we do to create the right kind of culture -- where they know ideas are valued and acted on. Go mentor our young talent."
Fran Allen accepts kind words from friends and colleagues at A Watson Working Women's Network event in her honor.
"My Fair Ladies" - IBM's 1957 college recruitment brochure
Related Links
ˇ IBM's Local Education Outreach
ˇ IBM's Women in Technology Program
ˇ Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
ˇ Fran Allen to receive the Ada Lovelace Award
ˇ Would-Be Math Teacher Ended Up Educating a Computer Revolution
The New York Times
See also: · Frances Allen, IBM Fellow Emerita