Pfenning grew up in
Rüsselsheim in Germany and studied mathematics and computer science at
Technische Universität Darmstadt in Germany. He attended
Carnegie Mellon University after receiving a
Fulbright Scholarship, and subsequently became a professor in Carnegie Mellon's Computer Science Department. His research includes work in the area of
programming languages,
logic and
type theory,
logical frameworks,
automated deduction, and trustworthy computing. He is one of the principal authors of the
Twelf system. He also developed Carnegie Mellon's introductory
imperative programming course for undergraduates and the C0 programming language used in this course. == Honors and awards ==