Marsha Chechik

Marsha Chechik is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto within the Faculty of Arts and Science. She previously served as Chair of the Department of Computer Science (2019-2022) and as Acting Dean in the Faculty of Information (July-December 2022). Professor Chechik received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1996 and has established herself as a leading researcher in software engineering with a focus on formal methods.

Her research interests include software safety and security, automated verification, software product lines, and model management. Professor Chechik has authored numerous papers in formal methods, software specification and verification, computer safety and security, and requirements engineering. Her work has evolved to incorporate newer areas such as machine vision reliability analysis, normative requirements with large language models, and machine learning development lifecycle analysis. Her research consistently bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in software engineering.

Professor Chechik has served in numerous leadership roles including Program Committee Co-Chair for major conferences such as ICSE 2018, TACAS 2016, VSTTE 2016, ASE 2014, CONCUR 2008, CASCON 2008, and FASE 2009. She is currently the Area Chair for ASE 2025 in Security and Other Non-Functional Properties. She has also served as Associate Editor in Chief of Journal on Software and Systems Modeling and as associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (2003-2007, 2010-2013).

• Best paper award at RE'12 (2012)
• SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper at ICSE'12 (2012)
• Winner of Best Student Paper Award at CASCON'07 (2007)
• Winner of Distinguished Paper Award at ICSE'07 (2007)

Professor Chechik regularly mentors PhD students, with notable advisees including Michalis Famelis, Shiva Nejati, Jocelyn Simmonds, Ou Wei, and Aws Albarghouthi. Her advising philosophy emphasizes rigorous formal methods while addressing practical software engineering challenges. She has been involved in numerous research grants focusing on software verification, safety-critical systems, and requirements engineering. Currently, her work explores the intersection of formal methods with emerging technologies like large language models and machine vision systems.

Professor Chechik maintains an active research lab focused on model-based software engineering, with projects spanning software product lines, model management, and verification techniques. Her team collaborates with industry partners to address real-world software engineering challenges while advancing theoretical foundations. Current work includes developing techniques for normative requirements operationalization, machine vision reliability analysis, and automated code reconciliation using AI techniques.