computer science

Mary Ellen Randall

Mary Ellen Randall is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mary Ellen Randall rather than just read about it. In short: Mary Ellen Randall is an American computer programmer and businesswoman, known for founding the IEEE MOVE program for quickly providing communications and power services in disaster relief. She is the founder and CEO of enterprise software company Ascot Technologies, Inc., in Cary, North Carolina.

Key takeaways

Mary Ellen Randall belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mary Ellen Randall to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mary Ellen Randall from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mary Ellen Randall is an American computer programmer and businesswoman, known for founding the IEEE MOVE program for quickly providing communications and power services in disaster relief. She is the founder and CEO of enterprise software company Ascot Technologies, Inc., in Cary, North Carolina.

Education and career Randall grew up in upstate New York as the oldest of four children of a banker. She went to nearby Binghamton University, earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics in three years, originally planning to become a mathematics teacher. Later, she returned to Binghamton for a master's degree in computer science. She began work as a computer programmer for the Singer Corporation, working on flight simulator software. Next, she worked for 22 years at IBM, as a developer of commercial software and as a project manager, before leaving IBM to found Ascot Technologies.

Recognition Randall received the 2016 IEEE-USA George F. McClure Award for her work with IEEE MOVE. She was named as an IEEE Fellow in 2007 "for leadership in the development and commercialization of audio-video decoders". She was the 2020 recipient of the IEEE Haraden Pratt Award, "for advocacy of member engagement through projects, social networking, awards, service to humanity, inclusion, and outreach in support of IEEE goals".

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mary Ellen Randall

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mary Ellen Randall claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mary Ellen Randall before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mary Ellen Randall ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mary Ellen Randall

In research: Mary Ellen Randall appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mary Ellen Randall in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mary Ellen Randall is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American businesspeople in the computer industry, American businesswomen, American computer specialists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mary Ellen Randall outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mary Ellen Randall in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mary Ellen Randall means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mary Ellen Randall out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mary Ellen Randall in simple terms?

Why does Mary Ellen Randall matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mary Ellen Randall?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mary Ellen Randall.