Maurice Herlihy , professor of computer science, has been named a member of the National Academy of Engineering . Herlihy was honored for his work on concurrent computing techniques for linearizability, nonblocking data structures, and transactional memory . Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature,” and to the “pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”