# Stephen Soderland

> Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Amherst 1997

**Wikidata**: [Q102229121](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q102229121)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/stephen-soderland

## Summary
Stephen Soderland was an American computer scientist and programmer. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1997, held a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Stanford University (1971), and was employed by the University of Washington.

## Biography
- Born: 1949-04-14, Seattle, United States
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Bachelor's degree in mathematics, Stanford University (1971); Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Massachusetts Amherst (1997)
- Known for: Academic career in computer science and work as a programmer/software engineer; doctoral research completed under Wendy G. Lehnert
- Employer(s): University of Washington
- Field(s): Computer science; programming; software engineering

## Contributions
Stephen Soderland completed a doctoral degree in computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1997 under advisor Wendy G. Lehnert, which represents a formal research contribution to the field. His authorship record is indexed in DBLP under author id 95/3490, indicating a body of published work in computer science venues (specific titles and venues are not listed in the provided source material). His academic record is also registered in the Mathematics Genealogy Project (IDs 55184 and 263023), documenting his place in academic lineage. Professionally, he is identified as a programmer and software engineer and is recorded as having been employed by the University of Washington. These facts together indicate contributions in research (doctoral dissertation and peer-reviewed publications indexed by DBLP) and professional practice in computing and software development.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Stephen Soderland?
A: Stephen Soderland was an American computer scientist and programmer who earned a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1997 and held a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Stanford University (1971).

### Q: When and where did he receive his Ph.D.?
A: He received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1997. His doctoral advisor was Wendy G. Lehnert.

### Q: Where did Stephen Soderland work?
A: He was employed by the University of Washington, and he is identified professionally as a computer scientist and programmer.

### Q: When was he born and when did he die?
A: He was born on 1949-04-14 in Seattle, United States, and died on 2017-12-13. The cause of death was prostate cancer; manner of death is recorded as natural causes.

## Why They Matter
Stephen Soderland’s professional and academic record reflects a sustained engagement with computer science and software development. Earning a Ph.D. in 1997 placed him in the community of researchers producing peer-reviewed work; his presence in DBLP (author id 95/3490) and the Mathematics Genealogy Project (IDs 55184, 263023) provides durable bibliographic and genealogical traces that other researchers and historians can follow. Employment at the University of Washington situates him within an institution known for research and teaching in computing, indicating roles that likely combined technical practice with academic activity. His documented training—a Stanford bachelor's in mathematics followed by doctoral study at UMass Amherst under Wendy G. Lehnert—connects him to established academic lineages in computer science and natural language/AI research areas associated with that advisor. Without such recorded credentials and indexed outputs, the specific contributions and traceable lineage in the scholarly record would be harder to verify; the existing records preserve his participation in the discipline’s research and professional networks.

## Notable For
- Earning a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1997.
- Doctoral advisor: Wendy G. Lehnert (Ph.D. supervision documented).
- Bachelor's degree in mathematics from Stanford University (1971).
- Employment recorded at the University of Washington.
- Authorship indexed in DBLP (dblp author id: 95/3490) and entries in the Mathematics Genealogy Project (IDs 55184, 263023).

## Body
### Personal details
- Full name: Stephen Glenn Soderland (alias recorded).
- Given name: Stephen.
- Sex/gender: Male.
- Birth: 1949-04-14, Seattle, United States.
- Death: 2017-12-13. Cause of death: prostate cancer. Manner of death: natural causes.
- Citizenship: United States.

### Education
- Stanford University
  - Degree: Bachelor's degree.
  - Field: Mathematics.
  - Completion year: 1971.
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
  - Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).
  - Completion year: 1997.
  - Doctoral advisor: Wendy G. Lehnert.

### Career and affiliations
- Occupation: Computer scientist; programmer; software engineer.
- Employer: University of Washington (recorded employer).
- Professional identifiers:
  - DBLP author id: 95/3490.
  - Mathematics Genealogy Project ids: 55184, 263023.

### Academic record and documentation
- Listed in bibliographic and genealogical databases that document scholarly output and academic lineage.
- Doctoral supervision link to Wendy G. Lehnert recorded in academic metadata.

### Death
- Date: 2017-12-13.
- Cause: Prostate cancer.
- Manner: Natural causes.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Stephen Glenn Soderland",
  "jobTitle": "Computer scientist",
  "worksFor": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "University of Washington"
  },
  "nationality": {
    "@type": "Country",
    "name": "United States"
  },
  "birthDate": "1949-04-14",
  "birthPlace": "Seattle, United States",
  "alumniOf": [
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
      "name": "Stanford University"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
      "name": "University of Massachusetts Amherst"
    }
  ],
  "knowsAbout": [
    "Computer science",
    "Programming"
  ],
  "description": "American computer scientist and programmer; Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1997) and bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Stanford University (1971)."
}

## References

1. [Source](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/seattletimes/name/stephen-soderland-obituary?id=13167374)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project