# Matthias Felleisen

> American academic

**Wikidata**: [Q6791540](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6791540)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Felleisen)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/matthias-felleisen

## Summary
Matthias Felleisen is a German-born American computer scientist and university teacher best known as the creator of the Racket programming language and for his influential work in programming language design and education. He is a Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University and was named an ACM Fellow in 2007 for his contributions to programming languages and development environments.

## Biography
- Born: Germany
- Nationality: American
- Education: Indiana University
- Known for: Creating the Racket programming language and contributions to programming language research
- Employer(s): Northeastern University, Rice University
- Field(s): Computer science, programming languages, informatics

## Contributions
Matthias Felleisen's most significant contribution is the creation of Racket, a functional programming language derived from Scheme that he began developing in 1995. Racket has become influential in both research and education, known for its powerful macro system and gradual typing capabilities. Beyond the language itself, Felleisen has mentored numerous doctoral students who have become prominent computer scientists, including Matthew Flatt (co-creator of Racket), Shriram Krishnamurthi, Robert Bruce Findler, and many others who received their Ph.D.s from Northeastern University between 2003-2016. His work spans programming language design, software engineering, and computer science education, with particular emphasis on making programming more accessible and reliable through better language design and tooling.

## FAQs
### Q: What programming language did Matthias Felleisen create?
A: Matthias Felleisen created Racket, a functional programming language that evolved from Scheme, beginning in 1995. Racket is known for its powerful macro system and is widely used in programming language research and education.

### Q: Where does Matthias Felleisen teach?
A: Matthias Felleisen is a professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He previously taught at Rice University.

### Q: What awards has Matthias Felleisen received?
A: Matthias Felleisen was named an ACM Fellow in 2007 for his contributions to programming languages and development environments. He also received the Programming Languages Achievement Award in 2012.

### Q: Who were some of Matthias Felleisen's doctoral students?
A: His notable doctoral students include Matthew Flatt, Shriram Krishnamurthi, Robert Bruce Findler, Amr A. Sabry, John Clements, Cormac Flanagan, and Rebecca J. Parsons, among many others.

## Why They Matter
Matthias Felleisen's impact on computer science extends far beyond his technical contributions. Through the creation of Racket, he provided the programming language community with a powerful platform for experimenting with new language features and teaching programming concepts. His influence is particularly evident in the next generation of computer scientists he mentored - his doctoral students have gone on to become professors at major universities and leaders in programming language research themselves. The Racket language has become a standard tool in programming language courses worldwide, fundamentally changing how computer science is taught. His recognition as an ACM Fellow and his Programming Languages Achievement Award underscore how his work has shaped the field's understanding of how programming languages should be designed, implemented, and taught.

## Notable For
- Creator of the Racket programming language (1995)
- ACM Fellow (2007) for contributions to programming languages and development environments
- Programming Languages Achievement Award recipient (2012)
- Doctoral advisor to over 15 prominent computer scientists including Matthew Flatt and Shriram Krishnamurthi
- Professor at Northeastern University, previously at Rice University

## Body
### Academic Career
Matthias Felleisen built his academic career at two major institutions. He served as a professor at Rice University before moving to Northeastern University, where he continues to teach and conduct research. At Northeastern, he has advised numerous doctoral students who completed their degrees between 2003 and 2016, creating a legacy that extends throughout the computer science community.

### The Racket Programming Language
In 1995, Felleisen began developing what would become Racket, originally conceived as a teaching language derived from Scheme. Racket evolved into a full-featured programming language that combines functional programming with powerful macro capabilities and gradual typing. The language has found particular success in education and research, where its flexibility allows for rapid prototyping of new language features and programming paradigms.

### Research Contributions
Felleisen's research spans multiple areas within computer science, with primary focus on programming languages and informatics. His work emphasizes making programming more reliable and accessible through better language design, development environments, and educational approaches. He has contributed to the theoretical foundations of programming languages while also creating practical tools and systems.

### Professional Recognition
The Association for Computing Machinery recognized Felleisen's contributions by naming him an ACM Fellow in 2007, specifically citing his work on programming languages and development environments. In 2012, he received the Programming Languages Achievement Award, one of the highest honors in the field, acknowledging his sustained impact on how programming languages are designed, implemented, and taught.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Matthias Felleisen",
  "jobTitle": "Professor of Computer Science",
  "worksFor": {"@type": "Organization", "name": "Northeastern University"},
  "nationality": {"@type": "Country", "name": "United States"},
  "birthPlace": {"@type": "Place", "name": "Germany"},
  "alumniOf": {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Indiana University"},
  "knowsAbout": ["Computer Science", "Programming Languages", "Informatics"],
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6787891", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Felleisen"],
  "description": "American computer scientist known for creating the Racket programming language",
  "award": ["ACM Fellow", "Programming Languages Achievement Award"]
}

## References

1. Czech National Authority Database
2. BnF authorities
3. [Source](https://www.acm.org/media-center/2007/january/acm-names-41-fellows-for-contributions-to-computing-and-it)
4. Mathematics Genealogy Project
5. general catalog of BnF
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. CiNii Research