The John D. Gannon Scholarship was established in memory of Dr. John D. Gannon in October 1999 by his wife, Nancy Garrison, brother, Rickard Gannon, family, friends, students, and colleagues. The John D. Gannon Scholarship offers financial support to the most outstanding students in the Department of Computer Science as a tribute to Dr. Gannon’s achievements as a teacher, researcher, and professional in the field of computer science.
Dr. Gannon was a leading figure in computer science through his research in software engineering — the specification, analysis, and testing of software systems. He joined the University of Maryland faculty in 1975 and was a gifted teacher, receiving many awards for his work with students including the University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award. Dr. Gannon served on the Board of Directors of the Computing Research Association, where he chaired the Graduate Record Examination Board computer science committee. He was also a program officer with the National Science Foundation and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).