Katherine R. Dearstyne

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Katherine R. Dearstyne is a researcher at the intersection of software engineering and safety-critical systems, with a primary focus on safety assurance in evolving software. Her most cited work, "SAFA: A Tool for Supporting Safety Analysis in Evolving Software Systems" (2022), addresses a critical challenge: how organizations can maintain agility—releasing timely, competitive features—without compromising safety in domains like medical devices, autonomous vehicles, and industrial robotics. This tool supports systematic safety analysis as software evolves, helping engineers identify and mitigate hazards introduced by new features. While her citation count is still growing, her contribution is notable for tackling the tension between rapid development and rigorous safety assurance—a pressing issue in modern, regulated industries. Dearstyne’s work is particularly valuable for practitioners and researchers seeking practical, tool-supported methods to keep safety analysis synchronized with continuous change. Her research underscores a key insight: agility and safety need not be opposing forces, but can be harmonized through thoughtful, automated analysis.