Jeffrey C. Carver, PhD
James R. Cudworth Professor of Comp. Sci., Univ. of Alabama
Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies (CS, UA)
Editor-in-Chief, Computing in Science & Engineering (IEEE CS)
Expertise: empirical software engineering, human factors, software quality, peer code review, research software, software security
Founding member, US-RSE Association steering committee
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- jeff@cyberonixexperts.com
- +1 (888) 668-8391
Education
PhD, Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 2003
BS (magna cum laude), Computer Science (Minor: Mathematics), Louisiana State University, 1997
Phi Beta Kappa.
Biography
Jeffrey C. Carver, PhD, a James R. Cudworth Professor at the University of Alabama, is an internationally recognized software expert. With decades of experience in empirical software engineering, Dr. Carver specializes in evaluating the quality, reliability, and security of software development activities and complex software systems. His expertise extends to human factors in software development, peer code review practices, requirements engineering, defect prevention, and research software used in scientific and high-performance computing domains.
Prof. Carver is the Editor-in-Chief of Computing in Science & Engineering (IEEE Computer Society) and has previously served in editorial roles for IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, IEEE Software, Information & Software Technology, and Empirical Software Engineering. His extensive publication record includes research on testing, error prevention, code review effectiveness, research software, and open-source software community dynamics.
He has also provided leadership as Chair of the University of Alabama Cyber Initiative (2019-2022) and as a founding and current steering committee member of the United States Research Software Engineering (US-RSE) Association.
Focus Areas
As a software expert witness, Prof. Carver brings academic rigor and practical insight to litigation, consulting, and advisory engagements. His focus areas include the following.
- Empirical software engineering and human factors: Design and evaluation of developer processes, practices, and productivity.
- Software quality and testing: Requirements analysis, defect prevention, assurance methods, and test design for both commercial and research software.
- Peer code review and developer tooling: Review culture, reviewer effectiveness, and socio-technical insights from open-source and enterprise development.
- Research software engineering: Sustainability, reproducibility, and metrics for scientific and high-performance computing software.
- Software security: identifying vulnerabilities and improving security practices through human-centric and process-driven approaches.
Final Words
Litigation involving software often requires specialized expertise to explain source code, evaluate development practices, or assess quality and security claims. Prof. Carver’s combination of academic leadership, research excellence, and applied consulting makes him a trusted software expert witness in high-stakes intellectual property and technology disputes. His evidence-based methods and clear communication help courts, juries, and legal teams understand technical issues with precision and clarity.
