Biography:
Verónica Dahl is an Argentine/Canadian computer scientist and a pioneer in the field of logic programming. She is widely recognized as one of the 15 founders of logic programming, a subfield of computer science. Born and raised in Argentina, Dahl attended college at Buenos Aires University, where she earned a degree in computer science in 1974. However, as political tensions in Argentina increased, Dahl decided to continue her education abroad.
In 1977, Dahl became the first graduate at the Université d’Aix-Marseille to receive a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence. During her time as a doctoral student, she made significant contributions to the field of logic programming. Dahl developed the first logic programming database system and also created a logic-programmed front end to consult it in a human language, specifically Spanish. These innovative developments laid the foundation for the future advancements in logic programming.
Throughout her career, Dahl’s research and methodologies extended beyond logic programming. Her work spanned across multiple disciplines, including Computational Linguistics, Computational Molecular Biology, and Artificial Intelligence. In 1982, she joined Simon Fraser University as an associate professor and later became a full professor in 1991.
Dahl’s contributions to the field of computer science go beyond her research achievements. As a woman pioneer in a male-dominated field, she actively fought against gender inequality. While at Simon Fraser University, she mentored and served as a role model for other women in the field. Dahl also championed concrete actions to address gender disparities.
One notable incident occurred when Simon Fraser University refused to reimburse her $17 for childcare expenses while she was delivering a guest speech in Victoria, British Columbia. Dahl took her protest first to her department and then to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). As a result of her advocacy, NSERC changed their policy to cover childcare expenses for nursing researchers they funded.
Dahl also worked to promote childcare facilities at logic programming conferences. She actively proposed and advocated for the provision of childcare services, which eventually became a formal part of the conference’s constitution. Today, childcare is routinely offered at logic programming conferences, thanks to Dahl’s efforts.
In addition to her influential advocacy work, Dahl has successfully developed numerous international research projects and collaborations. She has collaborated with institutions and researchers from Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and France, working on groundbreaking research in logic programming and related fields. Dahl has also worked with prominent technology companies, including IBM and Vancouver Software Labs, where she obtained a record-breaking research contract.
Dahl’s dedication to advancing the field of computer science and her contributions to logic programming have earned her numerous accolades and recognitions. In 1996, she was honored by the Logic Programming Association as one of the 15 founders of the Logic Programming Field. She served as the president of the Association of Logic Programming from 2001 to 2005.
In 2008, Dahl was awarded the prestigious Marie Curie Chair of Excellence from the European Commission for her pioneering work on Constraint Solving and Language Processing for Bioinformatics. This recognition further highlighted her significant contributions to the field.
In 2012, Dahl made the decision to leave her full professor position at Simon Fraser University to focus on her research. In recognition of her contributions, the university awarded her the Lifetime Professor Emeritus status in 2013.
Verónica Dahl’s research program continues to push the boundaries of computer science. Her groundbreaking work and dedication to gender equality have made her an influential figure in the field. She has left an indelible mark on the discipline of computer science and serves as an inspiration for future generations of women in STEM.