# Rebecca J. Parsons > Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Central Florida **Wikidata**: [Q59525763](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59525763) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/rebecca-j-parsons ## Summary Rebecca J. Parsons is a computer scientist and university teacher who serves as a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Central Florida. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Rice University (doctoral advisor Matthias Felleisen), has supervised doctoral students including Marc Smith and Keith Garfield, and has been affiliated with the software consultancy ThoughtWorks. ## Biography - Education: Doctor of Philosophy, Rice University; Bachelor of Science, Bradley University - Known for: Serving as a professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and bridging academic and industry roles - Employer(s): University of Central Florida; ThoughtWorks - Field(s): Engineering; Electrical engineering; Computer science - Occupation: University teacher; Computer scientist ## Contributions Rebecca J. Parsons has an established presence in both academia and industry. Academically, she earned a PhD from Rice University under the supervision of Matthias Felleisen and has supervised doctoral students, including Marc Smith and Keith Garfield, helping to train the next generation of researchers in computing and engineering. Her research output is indexed in standard bibliographic services (for example, a DBLP author identifier is associated with her), indicating a body of published work in computer science and engineering. In industry, she has been affiliated with ThoughtWorks, connecting practical software engineering practice with academic research. Parsons’s combined roles as a professor at the University of Central Florida and as an industry-affiliated technologist position her to influence curriculum, mentorship, and applied software engineering practices across academic and professional settings. ## FAQs ### Q: Who is Rebecca J. Parsons? A: Rebecca J. Parsons is a computer scientist and university teacher who is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Central Florida and has been affiliated with ThoughtWorks. ### Q: Where did Rebecca J. Parsons receive her education? A: She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Rice University and a Bachelor of Science from Bradley University. ### Q: Who supervised Rebecca J. Parsons’s doctoral work, and whom has she supervised? A: Her doctoral advisor was Matthias Felleisen. She has supervised doctoral students including Marc Smith and Keith Garfield. ## Why They Matter Rebecca J. Parsons matters because she occupies a bridging role between academic research in electrical engineering and computer science and industry practice. Earning a PhD under Matthias Felleisen and subsequently supervising doctoral students demonstrates a direct lineage of mentorship and scholarly contribution. Her affiliation with ThoughtWorks alongside a professorship at the University of Central Florida places her at the intersection of theory and practice: she is positioned to translate research insights into industry-relevant practices and to bring practical challenges back into academic inquiry. The presence of her publications in bibliographic databases (DBLP) and formal authority records (VIAF, Library of Congress, Mathematics Genealogy Project) shows recognition and traceability of her scholarly output. Without such figures who work across sectors and mentor future researchers, the flow of ideas between university research and software engineering practice would be more siloed; Parsons’s combined academic and industry engagements help sustain that exchange and support the development of new researchers. ## Notable For - Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Central Florida. - Earned a Doctor of Philosophy from Rice University; doctoral advisor was Matthias Felleisen. - Supervised doctoral students including Marc Smith and Keith Garfield. - Affiliated with ThoughtWorks (industry employer). - Presence in academic bibliographic and authority records (DBLP author id, VIAF, Library of Congress, Mathematics Genealogy Project). ## Body ### Education and Early Academic Formation - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Rice University. - Bachelor of Science (BS), Bradley University. - Doctoral advisor: Matthias Felleisen. ### Academic Career - Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Central Florida. - Doctoral students supervised (recorded): Marc Smith; Keith Garfield. - Field of work: engineering, electrical engineering, computer science. ### Industry Affiliation - Employer (industry): ThoughtWorks. - Industry affiliation complements academic appointment at the University of Central Florida. ### Publications and Scholarly Record - DBLP author identifier: 75/3939, indicating a body of published work in computer science. - Listed in authority and academic records: VIAF (160479492), Library of Congress authority ID (no2010178253), Mathematics Genealogy Project (ID 113748). ### Identifiers and Public Records - Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Rebecca_Parsons_Collision_4_May_2017_02.jpg - Commons category: Rebecca J. Parsons. - Described at: Built In Chicago profile referencing ThoughtWorks (https://www.builtinchicago.org/2017/06/22/thoughtworks-cto-rebecca-parsons). - Other identifiers: yale_lux_id person/7f980901-9006-4fb1-a113-192622c06c26; nl_cr_aut_id osd2010555612. ### Mentorship and Academic Lineage - Doctoral advisor: Matthias Felleisen (Rice University). - Recorded doctoral students: Marc Smith; Keith Garfield. ## References 1. Mathematics Genealogy Project 2. [Source](https://www.thoughtworks.com/profiles/rebecca-parsons)