Microsoft  has appointed appoints Jeannette Wing as new Vice President, head of Microsoft Research International. Wing will be joining Microsoft Research in January 2013, assuming responsibility for Microsoft Research’s research laboratories in Bangalore, India; Cambridge, England; and Beijing.

Dr. Jeannette Wing will join Microsoft Research as vice president, head of Microsoft Research International, reporting to Chief Research Officer Rick Rashid. Wing is a leading figure in computer science research, particularly in formal methods, security and privacy. She has held key positions in both academia and government, most recently at Carnegie Mellon University and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

“Jeannette is a leading light in the computer science research community, providing strong leadership both at Carnegie Mellon and at NSF,” Rashid said. “I have long been impressed by both her profound commitment to world-class research and her service to the research community, and I look forward to working alongside her. It’s a privilege to welcome Jeannette to Microsoft Research.”

From 2007 to 2010, Wing served as assistant director of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate at the NSF, where she led the directorate that funds academic computer science research in the United States. In this capacity, she worked with NSF staff to set funding priorities for the academic science and engineering research community, create new programs, and represent the nation’s computer science community. Wing has served twice as head of the Department of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University: before her term at NSF and again upon her return to Carnegie Mellon. She was also associate dean for Academic Affairs at Carnegie Mellon for five years, overseeing the educational programs offered by the School of Computer Science.