Guy Cox

Lecturer, Computer Engineering

This is a portrait of me from a "few" years back. Don't expect me to look like this when you come to my office! (The artist is Patrice Moriarity Crawford.)
I have been a Lecturer in Computer Engineering, in the Jack Baskin School of Engineering, at the University of California, Santa Cruz since 2002. As a Lecturer I have been teaching CE 3 -- Personal Computer Concepts; CE 80E -- Engineering Ethics; and CE 276 -- Software Engineering.

My research is concerned with human/computer interaction, but with a twist! Instead of examining user/computer interaction -- my interest lies in the interaction of the designer and developers with the information and communication technologies they are building. I focus in three areas:

  • Software Engineering, particularly the processes for how software is designed, developed, and managed.

  • Engineering Ethics, when looking at engineering ethics I find it is useful to consider three broad areas. First, that of the ethical behavior of an engineer, do they behave honestly, with integrity, and with the other characteristics that we might consider moral or “ethical.” Second, are sound engineering process and techniques used to design and build a product; a product that the user can consider reliable and functional. And third, is it a product we should be building in the first place – an engineer’s social ethics or responsibility. Are we creating things (computers, software, products) that are well suited to the user, to society, and to the environment.

  • Examining the impact of society on technology. Most work in social informatics examines the impact that technology is having on people and on society as a whole. However, the values, meanings, symbolic systems, aesthetics we bring to the design of new products and the application of information and communication technologies has a long lasting effect. They shape current and future technologies and the impact those technologies have on individuals and society. My interest lies in understanding how those values, meanings, etc. impact the design and development of new products and technology. (Graphic from Randy Smye, Sheridan College.) 
    •

    Industry Experience

    As an independent consultant I have worked with several Fortune 500 companies. Providing SEI Capability Maturity Model based assessments, improvement planning expertise, and assistance in developing and implementing recommendations for improvements in specific software development processes.

    At the request of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Republic of South Africa, I analyzed the capabilities and capacities needed for software development centers to build a national industry. This involved an analysis of three national software industries (India, Singapore, and Ireland) and the presentation ot the results to an audience of 60 universities and colleges and 12 software organizations from South Africa. In addition, I consulted with the Minister on this findings and other industry trends.

    I was a member of a task force, in what is now Agilent, which was responsible for organizational and technical improvements to enable fast cycle time. Together with other R&D lab managers and general managers, assessed the organization’s product generation capabilities, identified areas for change, worked with other functional managers to manage change, and instituted new processes.

    While employed by Hewlett Packard (HP) I served as a member of HP’s Task Force on Software Excellence sponsored by the company’s CTO Council. I surveyed software practice across HP and prepared recommendations for improving software engineering within HP. I worked with HP “partner programs” to perform technical due diligence with possible HP partners, developing a quick assessment method based on the SEI SW-CMM for use with internet software development organizations. I also worked with various HP organizations to develop lifecycles, management processes, and software metrics. As an R&D program manager for Product Generation Solutions (PGS), I was responsible for the strategic planning of new products. I coordinated the efforts of four R&D practices and established a new practice in Software Architecture and Internet Development. Developed and maintained the vintage chart for our product lines, as well as a technology roadmap to guide future investments. I established collaborations between Carnegie-Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and HP to foster improvement in software development, architecture, and product line practices, and also maintained relationships with MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and various industry experts.

    I have participated in the U.S. Advisory Group for ISO/IEC Software Standards Committee and participant in Software Process Assessment Standard Working Group since 1996. And I was a member of the SEI SW-CMM advisory board for Hewlett Packard. I am a member of the American Anthropology Association and of the American Evaluation Association.

    If you're interested, a list of publications is available. When I get the time, I'll make copies of the actual publications available as well.


    Last modified: January 22, 2003

    Comments: guymcox@soe.ucsc.edu