Congratulations to recent electrical and computer engineering PhD graduate, Lizhi Liao, whose research has earned him international recognition. Liao鈥檚 final thesis paper, Early Detection of Performance Regressions by Bridging Local Performance Data and Architectural Models, has been awarded the ACM Special Interest Group on Software Engineering (SIGSOFT) Distinguished Paper Award. He will receive this prestigious honor at the upcoming 2025 International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE), the premier conference in the field.
Now an Assistant Professor at Memorial University, Liao continues to make strides in advancing software performance engineering. Reflecting on his research journey, he shared insights into the inspiration behind his award-winning work.
鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges in software engineering today is ensuring software performance before it is delivered to users,鈥 Liao explained. 鈥淭hrough our research and industrial experience, we found that performance testing consumes a significant amount of time and resources. Traditional methods often occur late in the development cycle, making it difficult to address performance issues efficiently.鈥
Liao鈥檚 award-winning paper presents a groundbreaking approach to improving software performance testing.
鈥淥ur work is the first to integrate insights from small-scale performance testing data into software architecture models,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his enables developers to detect performance issues early in the software development phase, preventing major problems in the production environment.鈥
Unlike conventional testing methods, which typically occur after system integration and deployment, Liao鈥檚 approach proactively identifies issues. This innovative strategy reduces the time and resources required for performance testing and offers a promising solution to addressing software performance regressions in today鈥檚 fast-paced development landscape.
Choosing 蓝莓视频 for research excellence
Liao attributes much of his success to his time at 蓝莓视频.
鈥溊遁悠 has a strong focus on software engineering and fosters strong industry connections,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he program provided me with the opportunity to work with leading experts, particularly my PhD supervisor, Dr. Weiyi Shang. The resources and support available at 蓝莓视频 allowed me to explore real-world challenges and develop practical solutions.鈥
Shaping the future of software engineering
Liao鈥檚 PhD experience has had a lasting impact on his approach to both research and teaching.
鈥淢y PhD taught me to focus on real-world problems and think critically about how research can solve challenges in software development,鈥 he noted. 鈥淎s a professor, I strive to connect theory with practical applications, encouraging students to apply what they learn in hands-on projects.鈥
The transition from PhD student to faculty member has been both exciting and rewarding for Liao.
鈥淚 now have more freedom to define my research direction and mentor students,鈥 he said. 鈥淏alancing research, teaching, and other responsibilities has been a learning process, but it鈥檚 fulfilling to guide students and contribute to the field of software engineering.鈥
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering congratulates Dr. Liao on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to his continued contributions to the field.