Imagination. Creativity.  Logic.  The practice of Computer Science involves all three, and it was exactly this combination that drew Dr. Spezialetti into the field. As a professor, she strives to instill an appreciation for all three in her students.  Her teaching interests reflect her research interests and run the gamut from the study of computer operating system design to the use of computer animation, video and digital darkroom techniques...a combination which can result in one class of students working on a simulation of a scheduling algorithm for computer processes while another is working on an assignment titled "Frogs Attack Trinity".  She is also an enthusiastic participant in the teaching of First Year Seminars using the "Reacting to the Past Paradigm", in which students use role-playing as a means of studying  significant moments in history, such as the deliberations of the Assembly in 403 B.C. Athens (a four week adventure for which everyone, including Dr. Spezialetti, wears a toga).

Dr. Spezialetti received her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh.  Prior to joining Trinity, in 1995, she was a member of the faculty of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department of Lehigh University.

Publications 

• R. Gupta, M. Spezialetti. “A Compact Task Graph Representation for Real-Time Scheduling.” Journal of Real-Time Systems, Vol. 10 (1996): 71-102.
• D. Weber, M. Spezialetti, and H. Barada. “Vidnet: A Distributed Processing Methodology for Computer Animation.” Software Practice and Experience 26, 2 (February, 1996): 237-250.
• M. Spezialetti, R. Gupta. “Loop Monotonic Statements.” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 21, 6, (June 1995): 497-505.
• M. Spezialetti, J.P. Kearns. “Efficient Distributed Snapshots.” Chapter in Global States and Time in Distributed Systems, edited by Z. Yang and T. A. Marsland, Computer Society Press, pp. 16-22, 1993.

Refereed Conference Publications:

• W. Wu, R. Gupta, and M. Spezialetti. ”Experimental Evaluation of On-line Techniques for Removing Monitoring Intrusion.” SIGMETRICS 2nd Symposium on Parallel and Distributed Tools, pages 30-39, Oregon, August 1998.
• W. Wu, M. Spezialetti, and R. Gupta. "A Protocol for Removing Communication Intrusion in Monitored Distributed Systems.” IEEE-CS 18th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems, pages 120-129, Tilburg, The Netherlands, May 1998.
• W. Wu, M. Spezialetti, and R. Gupta. “On-line Avoidance of Communication Intrusion in Token Ring Networks.” IASTED 9th International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing and Systems, pages 429-436, Washington, D.C., October 1997.
• D. Weber, H. Barada, and M. Spezialetti. “Efficient Distributed Ray Tracing on a Cluster of Workstations.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Processing Techniques and Applications, pp. 1525-1535, 1997.
• W. Wu, M. Spezialetti, and R. Gupta. “Designing a Non-intrusive Monitoring Tool for Developing Complex Distributed Applications." IEEE 2nd International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, pages 450-457, Montreal, Canada, October 1996.

Honors / Awards

• Outstanding Paper Award in the Second IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Systems: “Designing a Non-intrusive Monitoring Tool for Developing Complex Distributed Applications,” W. Wu, M. Spezialetti, R. Gupta, 1996.

Funded Grants (external)

• On-line avoidance of Monitoring Intrusion in Distributed Systems, National Science Foundation, $77,819, August 1997-July 2000 (This grant was submitted as a joint proposal with co-PI  R. Gupta of the University of Pittsburgh.  Approximate combined amount of the grant (Trinity College/ University of Pittsburgh)  $234,000).
• Research Experience for Undergraduates Supplement to On-line Avoidance of Monitoring Intrusion in distributed Systems, National Science Foundation, $4,808, September 1997-June 1998
•  Monitoring and Intrusion Removal for Error Detection in Distributed Systems, NASA/Connecticut space Grant College Consortium, $5,000, June 1996-September 1996
•  Efficient Techniques for Monitoring Distributed Computations, National Science Foundation, $90,000, June 1992-June 1995
•  Undergraduate Parallel Processing Laboratory (with H. Barada), National Science Foundation, DUE-9251716, $77,966, August 1992-January 1995
• Research Experience for Undergraduates, supplement to Efficient Techniques for Monitoring Distributed Computations, National Science Foundation, $5000, August 1993-August 1994

Funded Grants (internal)

• Digital Animation Techniques for Life Science Instruction, Trinity College/ Hughes Foundation, $1800, February 2005
• Insuring the Correctness of Distributed Computer Programs, Trinity College, $5,400, June 1997-June 1998

Grants (Contributed as a Faculty Associate)

• CTW Consortium, Mellon Foundation, $800,000, June 2005-June 2008