ACM has appointed John L. Hennessy, former president of Stanford University, and David A. Patterson, a retired professor at California University, Berkeley, as beneficiaries of the 2017 ACM.M. Turing Award for pioneering a systematic and quantitative approach to the computer architectures design and evaluation with lasting impact on the microprocessor industry.
The Hennessy and Patterson work certainly exemplifies this pattern. His contributions to energy-efficient RISC-based processors helped in making mobile and IoT revolutions possible. At the same time, his seminal book has advanced the pace of innovation across the industry over the past 25 years, influencing generations of computer engineers and designers.
ACM initiated the Turing Award in 1966 to recognize contributions of great technical and lasting importance to the field of computing,” said ACM President Vicki L. Hanson.