Michael English

Michael English is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science & Information Systems, University of Limerick, and an Academic Director of the ICT Learning Centre. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (2007) and MSc (1999) from the University of Limerick, and a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from University College Cork (1996). His research focuses on software engineering (metrics, quality, clone detection, software evolution) and computer science education (undergraduate programming challenges). He lectures in software engineering, object-oriented programming, and course design.

Education:

• BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Statistics, University College Cork (1996)
• MSc Computer Science, University of Limerick (1999)
• PhD Computer Science, University of Limerick (2007)

Research Interests: His work spans software metrics for quality assessment, automated detection of code clones, and improving software maintainability. In education, he investigates barriers faced by early-stage programming students and pedagogical strategies like pair programming. Recent studies include industrial case studies on feature clones and text-mining StackOverflow to identify learning challenges.

Professional Roles:

• Course Director for MSc in Software Engineering
• Member of Lero – the Research Ireland Centre for Software
• Design contributor to undergraduate/postgraduate curricula

Research Trends: Recent articles emphasize industrial software analysis (e.g., feature clone detection in large systems) and leveraging machine learning for software engineering tasks. Educational work highlights the use of Q&A platforms to inform curriculum improvements and student support strategies.

Labs/Teams: Active in Lero, Ireland’s National Software Engineering Research Centre.