Martin Erwig

Martin Erwig is a Professor of Computer Science at Oregon State University's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science since 2000. He holds a Habilitation (1999) and Ph.D. (1994) from the University of Hagen, Germany, and a Diploma (M.S.) from the University of Dortmund (1989). His research focuses on domain-specific languages (DSL), functional programming, and visual languages, with notable contributions to oceanographic simulation tools and educational methodologies.

Erwig's awards include the 2023 John McCarthy Best Overall Paper Award, 2021 College of Engineering Mentoring Award, and a 2017 American Book Fest Best Book Award for his book Once Upon an Algorithm. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and developed teaching strategies using games to explain computational concepts.

His academic journey includes a 15-month military stint as a tank driver and early work designing databases. He emphasizes computational literacy for non-specialists, advocating for accessible explanations through storytelling and analogies.