Title: Modularity in Design and the Interplay of Architecture and Collaboration
Presenter: Assistant Prof. Yuanfang Cai Dept. of Computer Science, Drexel University,USA
Time: 2:00PM Sep 16, 2010
Location: Room 109, MMW Building

Modularity is one of the most important properties of a software design, with significant impact on the changeability, evolvability, and economic value of the software. The problem is that the essence of modularity is not formally defined and its economic value is not well understood. This presentation covers the following topics: the economic metaphors related to software modularity: real options and technical debts, the design rule theory and design structure matrix that can be used to visualize and assess software modular structure, and the theoretical foundation and application of these techniques.

Dr. Yuanfang Cai received her M.S. and Ph.D degrees in 2002 and 2006 respectively from the University of Virginia, and joined Drexel University as an assistant professor in 2006. Dr. Cai’s research areas include software evolution, software modularity, software economics and socio-technical congruence. Her recent work focuses on assessing software designs in terms of their ability to support parallel and distributed tasks. Dr. Cai has served on program committees and organizing committees for multiple prestigious conferences in the area of software engineering and her research is currently funded by the National Science Foundation in the US.