Memory management is rich with deep problems and challenging engineering, and fundamental to much of computer science which is probably why the likes of McCarthy, Dijkstra, Knuth, Steele, and Liskov have all made important contributions to our field.

With so much water under the bridge, and such a rich history, perhaps we’re about done? Perhaps memory management is a solved problem?

Far from it. Seismic technology shifts, unprecedented scale, concerns for energy efficiency and security, a diversity of programming languages and above all, ubiquity, have conspired to make memory management more challenging, interesting, and important than ever.

In this talk, I’ll reflect on some of my experience in the field and reflect on why now is a more interesting (exciting!) time to be working on memory management than any in its six-decade history.

My research interests are centered on the challenge of making software run faster and more power-efficiently on modern hardware. My primary interests include: microarchitectural support for managed languages, fast and efficient garbage collection, and the design and implementation of virtual machines. As a backdrop to this I have a longstanding interest in role of sound methodology and infrastructure in successful research innovation.