McFarland previously worked for
AT&T Bell Labs conducting research in computer-aided design of digital systems. Before going to Holy Cross, he was a
computer science professor and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at
Gonzaga University.
President of the College of the Holy Cross McFarland succeeded Acting Holy Cross President Frank Vellaccio on July 1, 2000. In February 2011, he announced his intention to step down from office. McFarland was succeeded in office by Rev.
Philip Boroughs, S.J., who was unanimously elected as the 32nd President of Holy Cross by the board of trustees on May 6, 2011. McFarland left office on January 9, 2012.
IEEE McFarland has articles published in the Proceedings of the
IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the IEEE Transactions on Computers, the
IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, Formal Methods for System Design, the Journal of Systems and Software, Computer, and Technology and Society. For three years he was an associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems and has participated in numerous program committees for conferences.
Board Memberships In addition to his responsibilities as Holy Cross' president, McFarland serves on the following: • The
Board of Trustees of The
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities • The Board of Trustees of The
University of Scranton in
Scranton, Pennsylvania • The Board of Trustees of
Boston College High School • The Board of Trustees of St. John's High School in
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts • The Board of Trustees of Worcester Catholic Charities • The Board of Trustees of The Worcester Municipal Research Bureau • The Board of Directors of the
NCAA Division I • The Advisory Council for
PricewaterhouseCoopers • Chairman of the Nativity School of Worcester, Massachusetts ==References==