Debra J. Richardson, Professor of Informatics and Dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, has set aggressive goals for herself and the school. A top priority is ensuring that the program is top-tier, encompassing a broad and interdisciplinary curriculum, while attracting the best and brightest students and faculty.

In addition, she is dedicated to building an infrastructure to support a dynamic research and educational environment that meets the demands of regional industry and community and contributes to the global economy. Richardson was appointed chair of the then-department of ICS in July 2000.

Under her leadership, the department was promoted to the first computing-focused school in University of California history in December 2002. She was named the Ted and Janice Smith Dean of the new school in January 2003. Richardson was instrumental in securing a transformational $20 million endowment for the school, resulting in naming the school after philanthropist Donald Bren.

Committed to increasing the participation of women and other underrepresented populations in computing and information technology, Richardson serves as director of the Ada Byron Research Center for Diversity in Computing and Information Technology (ABRC), whose mission is to study and promote diverse perspectives in computer science, engineering, digital media and related information technology fields through a variety of research, mentoring and outreach activities.

She is a member of the leadership team of the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), whose overarching goal is parity in the professional IT workforce through education, dissemination, advocacy, and a national, multi-year implementation plan that generates tangible progress within 20 years.

Richardson sits on the board of trustees for Girls, Inc., Orange County, a non-profit association devoted to advancing women and girls in computing and technology; the executive advisory board of the Association for Women in Technology, a non-profit organization of women devoted to the advancement of women working in computing and technology; and the board of directors of Watchit Media, a leading provider of narrowcasting technology.

She has worked with several companies in adopting technology for improving the quality of their software products and processes. While on sabbatical in 1996, she directed the Quality Enabling Software Technology (QuEST) study at the Microelectronics and Computer Technolgy Corporation (MCC). Out of this study, grew the (QuEST) project, whose goal is to study, transition, evaluate, integrate, and improve software testing and analysis tools and technologies for enabling and enhancing software quality. Richardson was recently named to the Board of Directors of Cotelligent, Inc., a leading provider of mobile business solutions, services and wireless hosting based in San Francisco.

She is currently director of MICRO (Microelectronics Innovation and Computer Research Opportunities), the first industry-university cooperative research program in the University of California (about to celebrate it's 20th anniversary). She is also a founding member of the UC Institute for Software Research (an Organized Research Unit). She currently serves UCI on the Committee on Committees and recently served as a member of UCI's Academic Senate Cabinet and as chair of UCI's Council on Educational Policy.

Richardson has served on several program committees, in particular on the series of International Symposia on Software Testing and Analysis (ISSTA and TAV - General Chair in 2000), and the International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE - General Chair in 2001), as well as the ACM SIGSoft Symposium on Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE), the International Workshop on Software Specification and Design (IWSSD - Program Chair in 2000), and the Workshop on Formal Methods in Software Practice (FMSP - General Chair in 2000). 

Still an active scholar, Richardson pioneered research in “specification-based testing,” whereby formal methods are employed to guide software testing. Her current work focuses on enabling specification-based testing technology throughout the software lifecycle, from requirements and architecture analysis through operation and evolution. She has developed leading edge tools, and has worked with several companies in adopting technology to improve the quality of critical software systems.

Richardson received her B.A. in Mathematics from University of California, San Diego, with the intention of teaching high school math. She gained an interest in computer science and chose graduate school instead. An urge to leave California (native born and raised) sent her east, planning to get her masters and return to the west coast within two years.

Five years later, she received a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science (COINS) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Not quite ready to leave, in part because she was the first string “lock” for the national champion women's rugby team, she joined the COINS faculty as a “visiting” professor. Six years later, she returned home to Orange County and joined the UCI faculty in 1987.

Richardson’s non-academic passions include rock climbing, SCUBA diving, in-line skating, skiing, snow boarding, biking, weight training, and country-western dancing. She enjoys the company of her three dogs: tri-color “chocolate” labs – Zoe (milk), Zuleka (white), and Zacary (dark).