FACULTY PROFILES

Marcelo F. Frias

Professor
Computer Science

Office Building: Chemistry and Computer Science Building
Office Room: 3.1008
Phone: (915) 747-5516
Email: mfrias4@utep.edu

Expertise: See Research Profile in Expertise Connector

Bio

Dr. Marcelo Frias is a Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Texas at El Paso. His research interests are in the area of Automated Software Engineering, with focus on fault detection, test generation, automated program repair and synthesis of specifications.

Awards and Honors

Marshall of Graduate Students, School of Engineering, Commencement Ceremony - Graduate School, UTEP (12/15/2024)
Amazon Research Award - Amazon Web Services (03/01/2021-03/31/2021)
Best paper award - IEEE/ACM (05/23/2017)
Best paper award - Brazilian Society for Computer Science (11/25/2016)
Best Paper Award - European Association for Software Science and Technology (EASST) (03/28/2007)
Bernardo Houssay Award to Scientific and Technological Research (young researcher in Computer Science) - Argentinean Secretary of Science and Technology (05/01/2003-05/31/2003)

Education

Ph D in Computer Science, Pontifcia Universidade Catolica in Rio de Janeiro (1998)
BS in Computer Science, Universidad de Buenos Aires (1992)

Publications

Automated Combinatorial Test Generation for Alloy In Proceeding of the 40th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE 2025) 40 (2025), Agustin Borda, German Regis, Nazareno M. Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Pablo Ponzio.
Risk Estimation in Differential Fuzzing via Extreme Value Theory In Proceeding of the 40th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE 2025) 40 (2025), Rafael Baez, Alejandro Olivas, Nathan K. Diamond, Marcelo Frias, Yannic Noller, Saeid Tispaz Niari.
An Analysis of the Impact of Field-Value Instance Navigation in Alloy’s Model Finding Rigorous State-Based Methods (ABZ 2024, Springer) LNCS 14759 (2024), Cesar Cornejo, Maria Marta Novaira, Sonia Parmigiani, Nazareno Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Simon Gutierrez Brida, German Regis.
BEAPI: A tool for bounded exhaustive input generation from APIs Science of Computer Programming (Elsevier) 238 (2024), Mariano Politano, Valeria Bengolea, Facundo Molina, Nazareno Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Pablo Ponzio.
Abstraction-Aware Inference of Metamorphic Relations Proceedings of the 32nd ACM International Conference on the Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE) 1 FSE (2024), Agustin Nolasco, Facundo Molina, Renzo Degiovanni, Alessandra Gorla, Diego Garbervetsky, Mike Papadakis, Sebastian Uchitel, Nazareno Aguirre, Marcelo Frias.
Precise Lazy Initialization for Programs with Complex Heap Inputs 34th IEEE International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering, ISSRE 2023 34th (2023), Juan M. Copia, Facundo Molina, Nazareno M. Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Alessandra Gorla, Pablo Ponzio.
A Study of the Electrum and DynAlloy Dynamic Behavior Notations IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 49 11 (2023), Cesar Cornejo, German Regis, Nazareno M. Aguirre, Marcelo F. Frias.
EvoSpex: A Search-Based Tool for Postcondition Inference Proceedings of the 32nd ACM SIGSOFT International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis, ISSTA 2023, Seattle, WA, USA, July 17-21, 2023. ACM 2023 32nd (2023), Facundo Molina, Pablo Ponzio, Nazareno M. Aguirre, Marcelo Frias.
Efficient Bounded Exhaustive Input Generation from Program APIs Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering - 26th International Conference, FASE 2023 13991 26th (2023), Mariano Politano, Valeria S. Bengolea, Facundo Molina, Nazareno M. Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Pablo Ponzio.

Presentations

Ana’s First Encounter with Programming: A method for teaching programming using Generative AI (2025), Volume Buenos Aires, Argentina, Marcelo Frias.

Grants

Modular Bounded Verification with Expressive Contracts (04/22/2022 - 12/31/2025) - Amazon Web Services

Current/Future Courses

Term	Course	Section	Syllabus
Spring 2026	CS 6398 - Dissertation	28751
Spring 2026	CS 6399 - Dissertation	28668
Spring 2026	CS 6294 - Doctoral Research	28546
Spring 2026	CS 6394 - Doctoral Research	26479
Spring 2026	CS 6694 - Doctoral Research	26478
Spring 2026	CS 1301 - Intro to Computer Science	28056	Syllabus
Spring 2026	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	28059
Spring 2026	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	28060
Spring 2026	CS 5398 - Master's Thesis	28174
Spring 2026	CS 5399 - Master's Thesis	28188
Spring 2026	CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V	21888	Syllabus
Spring 2026	CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V	21228	Syllabus

Past Courses

Select Term:

Term	Course	Section	Syllabus
Fall 2025	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	13261
Fall 2025	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	13264	Syllabus
Fall 2025	CS 6398 - Dissertation	18552
Fall 2025	CS 6294 - Doctoral Research	17939
Fall 2025	CS 6694 - Doctoral Research	17941
Fall 2025	CS 1301 - Intro to Computer Science	12315	Syllabus
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	12328	Syllabus
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	12338
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	12625
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	14034
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	16620
Summer 2025	CS 4371 - Computer Science Problems	33458
Spring 2025	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	23725	Syllabus
Spring 2025	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	24318	Syllabus
Spring 2025	CS 6394 - Doctoral Research	27997
Spring 2025	CS 6694 - Doctoral Research	27996
Spring 2025	CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V	22050	Syllabus
Spring 2025	CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V	21327	Syllabus
Fall 2024	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	13662	Syllabus
Fall 2024	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	13665	Syllabus
Fall 2024	CS 5390 - Special Topic Computer Science	16567	Syllabus
Fall 2024	CS 4390 - Special Topics in Computer Sci	16565	Syllabus
Summer 2024	CS 4371 - Computer Science Problems	34224
Spring 2024	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	24279	Syllabus
Spring 2024	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	25005	Syllabus
Spring 2024	CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V	22289
Spring 2024	CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V	21481
Fall 2023	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	14417	Syllabus
Fall 2023	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	14423	Syllabus

Course Evaluations

Term	Course	Section	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	13261	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	13264	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 1301 - Intro to Computer Science	12315	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	12328	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	12338	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	12625	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	14034	Evaluation
Fall 2025	CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab	16620	Evaluation
Spring 2025	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	23725	Evaluation
Spring 2025	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	24318	Evaluation
Spring 2025	CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V	22050	Evaluation
Spring 2025	CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V	21327	Evaluation
Fall 2024	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	13662	Evaluation
Fall 2024	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	13665	Evaluation
Fall 2024	CS 5390 - Special Topic Computer Science	16567	Evaluation
Fall 2024	CS 4390 - Special Topics in Computer Sci	16565	Evaluation
Spring 2024	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	24279	Evaluation
Spring 2024	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	25005	Evaluation
Spring 2024	CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V	22289	Evaluation
Spring 2024	CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V	21481	Evaluation
Fall 2023	CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I	14417	Evaluation
Fall 2023	CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II	14423	Evaluation

Bio

Awards and Honors

Marshall of Graduate Students, School of Engineering, Commencement Ceremony - Graduate School, UTEP (12/15/2024)
Amazon Research Award - Amazon Web Services (03/01/2021-03/31/2021)
Best paper award - IEEE/ACM (05/23/2017)
Best paper award - Brazilian Society for Computer Science (11/25/2016)
Best Paper Award - European Association for Software Science and Technology (EASST) (03/28/2007)
Bernardo Houssay Award to Scientific and Technological Research (young researcher in Computer Science) - Argentinean Secretary of Science and Technology (05/01/2003-05/31/2003)

Ph D in Computer Science, Pontifcia Universidade Catolica in Rio de Janeiro (1998)
BS in Computer Science, Universidad de Buenos Aires (1992)

Publications

Automated Combinatorial Test Generation for Alloy In Proceeding of the 40th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE 2025) 40 (2025), Agustin Borda, German Regis, Nazareno M. Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Pablo Ponzio.
Risk Estimation in Differential Fuzzing via Extreme Value Theory In Proceeding of the 40th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE 2025) 40 (2025), Rafael Baez, Alejandro Olivas, Nathan K. Diamond, Marcelo Frias, Yannic Noller, Saeid Tispaz Niari.
An Analysis of the Impact of Field-Value Instance Navigation in Alloy’s Model Finding Rigorous State-Based Methods (ABZ 2024, Springer) LNCS 14759 (2024), Cesar Cornejo, Maria Marta Novaira, Sonia Parmigiani, Nazareno Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Simon Gutierrez Brida, German Regis.
BEAPI: A tool for bounded exhaustive input generation from APIs Science of Computer Programming (Elsevier) 238 (2024), Mariano Politano, Valeria Bengolea, Facundo Molina, Nazareno Aguirre, Marcelo Frias, Pablo Ponzio.
Abstraction-Aware Inference of Metamorphic Relations Proceedings of the 32nd ACM International Conference on the Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE) 1 FSE (2024), Agustin Nolasco, Facundo Molina, Renzo Degiovanni, Alessandra Gorla, Diego Garbervetsky, Mike Papadakis, Sebastian Uchitel, Nazareno Aguirre, Marcelo Frias.

Presentations

Ana’s First Encounter with Programming: A method for teaching programming using Generative AI (2025), Volume Buenos Aires, Argentina, Marcelo Frias.

Modular Bounded Verification with Expressive Contracts (04/22/2022 - 12/31/2025) Amazon Web Services

Current/Future Courses

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 6398 - Dissertation

Section

28751

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 6399 - Dissertation

Section

28668

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 6294 - Doctoral Research

Section

28546

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 6394 - Doctoral Research

Section

26479

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 6694 - Doctoral Research

Section

26478

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 1301 - Intro to Computer Science

Section

28056

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

28059

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

28060

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 5398 - Master's Thesis

Section

28174

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 5399 - Master's Thesis

Section

28188

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

21888

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

21228

Syllabus

Past Courses

Select Term:

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

13261

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

13264

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 6398 - Dissertation

Section

18552

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 6294 - Doctoral Research

Section

17939

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 6694 - Doctoral Research

Section

17941

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1301 - Intro to Computer Science

Section

12315

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

12328

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

12338

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

12625

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

14034

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

16620

Syllabus

Term

Summer 2025

Course

CS 4371 - Computer Science Problems

Section

33458

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

23725

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

24318

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 6394 - Doctoral Research

Section

27997

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 6694 - Doctoral Research

Section

27996

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

22050

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

21327

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

13662

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

13665

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 5390 - Special Topic Computer Science

Section

16567

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 4390 - Special Topics in Computer Sci

Section

16565

Syllabus

Term

Summer 2024

Course

CS 4371 - Computer Science Problems

Section

34224

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

24279

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

25005

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

22289

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

21481

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2023

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

14417

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2023

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

14423

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

13261

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

13264

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1301 - Intro to Computer Science

Section

12315

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

12328

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

12338

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

12625

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

14034

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

CS 1101 - Intro to Computer Science Lab

Section

16620

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

23725

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

24318

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

22050

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2025

Course

CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

21327

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

13662

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

13665

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 5390 - Special Topic Computer Science

Section

16567

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2024

Course

CS 4390 - Special Topics in Computer Sci

Section

16565

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

24279

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

25005

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 4387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

22289

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2024

Course

CS 5387 - Software Integration and V&V

Section

21481

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2023

Course

CS 2101 - Discrete Structures I

Section

14417

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2023

Course

CS 2202 - Discrete Structures II

Section

14423

Evaluation

Marcelo F. Frias

Bio

Education

Scholarly and Creative Activity

Grants

Courses

Course Evaluations