Matthew S. Jaffe

Title
Professor of Computer Science
Email
Department
Electrical, Computer & Software Engr Department
College
College of Engineering

Areas of Expertise

Safety critical software engineering
Matthew S. Jaffe
Dr. Jaffe joined the Computer, Electrical, and Software Engineering Department faculty in 1996.  He currently serves as Software Engineering Program Chair and teaches a variety of computer science and software engineering courses (see the list of courses, below)
  • Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Computer Science, University of California-Irvine
  • M.S. - Master of Science in Computer Science, California State University-Fullerton
  • M.S. - Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, The University of West Florida
  • B.A. - Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, University of California-Berkeley
UNIV 101, EGR115, CS125, CS216, CS225, CS315, CS325,  CS332, CS335, CS420, CS431, CS432, SE300, SE310, SE320, CEC470


M. Jaffe; "Partitioning of a k-space by hyperplanes;" Delta Epsilon, Vol. VI, Spring, 1965.

M. Jaffe; "Another proof on partitioning of a k-space by k-1 spaces;" Delta Epsilon, Vol. VII, Fall, 1965.

M. Jaffe and N. Leveson; "Completeness, robustness, and safety in real-time software requirements specifications;" Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Software Engineering; May, 1989.

B. Melhart, M. Heimdahl, N. Leveson, and M. Jaffe; "Analysis capabilities for requirements expressed in statecharts;" Proceedings of the Fifth International Workshop on Software Specification and Design; May, 1989.

P. Neumann and M. Jaffe; "Aegis, Vincennes, and the Iranian Airbus;"ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes; Vol. 14, No. 5; July, 1989.

M. Jaffe and N. Leveson; "Implications of the man-machine interface for software requirements completeness in real-time, safety-critical software systems;" Proceedings of IFAC/IFIP SAFECOMP '89; Dec, 1989.

M. Jaffe, N. Leveson, B. Melhart, and M. Heimdahl; "Software requirements analysis for real-time process-control systems;" IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering; Mar, 1991.

N. Leveson, L. Alfaro, C. Alvarado, M. Brown, E.B. Hunt, M. Jaffe, S. Joslyn, D. Pinnel, J. Reese, J. Samarziya, S. Sandys, A. Shaw, and Z. Zabinsky; "Demonstration of a safety analysis on a complex system"; presented at the Software Engineering Laboratory Workshop, NASA Goddard; December, 1997.

M.S. Jaffe, "Possibilities for covert write down detection via null differential, marked money tests", Second International Conference on Non-Linear Problems in Aviation and Aerospace, S. Sivasundaram (ed.), European Conference Publications, Cambridge, 1999, Vol 1.

M.S. Jaffe, "Architectural approaches to limiting the criticality of commercial-off-the-shelf (or other re-used software) components in avionics systems", Proceedings of the 18th Digital Avionics Systems Conference; Oct, 1999. Republished online by both Defense Daily and Aviation Today.

M.S. Jaffe, "Completeness and consistency in software requirements specifications", Proceedings of the 4th Formal Methods Workshop, Korean Information Science Society; June, 2001.

M.S. Jaffe and S.-D. Cha, "Completeness, Robustness, and Safety in the Later Stages of the Requirements Engineering Process for Safety-Critical Software", Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability and Security, 2003; Sept 2003.

M.S. Jaffe, "Resolving the Algorithms-as-Requirements versus Algorithms-as-Design Conundrum", Proceedings of the 26th Digital Avionics Systems Conference; Oct, 2007.

M.S. Jaffe, R. Busser, D. Daniels, H. Delseny, and G. Romanski; "Progress Report on some Proposed Upgrades to the Conceptual Software Engineering Underpinnings of DO178B/ED12B", Proceedings of the 3rd IET International System Safety Conference; Oct, 2008.

M.S. Jaffe, "Minimum Essential Robustness Requirements Analysis", Proceedings of the 30th Digital Avionics Systems Conference; Oct, 2011.​

M.S. Jaffe; "A Probably Heretical Look at Some of the Problems with the Conceptual Basis for Low Level and Derived Requirements, Followed by a Ray of Hope"; Proceedings of the 37th IEEE/AIAA Digital Avionics System Conference; Sept, 2018. 

M.S. Jaffe; "Levels Of Requirements, Robustness, Unicorns, And Other Semi-Mythical Creatures In The Requirements Engineering Bestiary: Why 'Types' Of Software Requirements Are Often Misleading"; Proceedings of the 40th IEEE/AIAA Digital Avionics System Conference; Oct, 2021.

    Current Position:

    1996-present.  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona

    • Professor of Computer and Software Engineering 

    Industrial and Military Experience:

    1976-1996. Hughes Aircraft Company, Ground Systems Group

    • Lead engineer for the HMI design of the U.S. Navy's SQS-53B sonar
    • Project engineer for the HMP-3637 family of minicomputers
    • Software engineering head for a classified project
    • Systems engineering head for GEAEGIS (German AEW-Ground Integration Segment – the integration of the E-3A AWACS into GEADGE, the German Air Defense Ground Environment)
    • Lead software engineer for a classified DoD program
    • CSDSO (Contractor's System Design Security Officer) for a classified command and control system accredited by NSA at the equivalent of the B2-level for compartmented mode operations (the first such security accreditation ever granted by that particular agency)
    • Assistant technical director for NECCIS (Northern European Command and Control Information System)
    • Lead systems engineer and then technical director for the design competition for the Initial Sector Suite System, the first phase of the FAA's Advanced Automation System, the program to modernize the entire US air traffic control system)
    • Technical director for the BMD BM/C3 OA (a prototype battle management/command and control system for ballistic missile defense)
    • Technical director for Oceanic System Development and Support, the FAA's system for oceanic air traffic control
    • Assistant program manager and technical director for the Hughes' Theater Battle Management Core System proposal and prototype effort
    • Technical director for the Master Systems Integration contract for the new Hong Kong airport at Chek Lap Kok
    • Chief architect for WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System – the FAA's differential GPS for enroute and approach air traffic navigation within the US)

    1975-1976. RCA, Missile and Surface Radar Division

    • Systems engineer for the US Navy's Aegis Command and Decision system, responsible for human-machine interface (HMI) design; invented the rule-based, expert system doctrine concept later adopted as a Navy standard

    1970-1974. United States Navy

    Other Professional Activities:

    Executive committee member on RTCA/EUROCAE SC-205/WG-71, the international committee responsible for producing DO-178C/ED-12C, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification

    co-PI on NSF grant  #0113627, Increasing Security Expertise in Aviation-oriented Computing Education.

    Peer reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Journal of Automated Software Engineering, Journal of the Korean Nuclear Society, the National Science Foundation, Journal of Systems and Software, and the National Research Council. 

    Consultant for the US Department of Defense, NASA, University of Washington, EPRI, Safeware Engineering, Motorola, and General Dynamics

    Member of the RTCA/EUROCAE Forum on Aeronautical Software.

    ​
    Best in session award for M.S. Jaffe, "Architectural approaches to limiting the criticality of commercial-off-the-shelf (or other re-used software) components in avionics systems", Proceedings of the 18th Digital Avionics Systems Conference; Oct, 1999.