Since 1991 Dr. Porter has been a professor of computer science at the University of Maryland and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Studies (UMIACS).

Dr. Porter is an award-­‐winning teacher and researcher. He is a winner of the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award and the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence in the College of Computer, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences.

Dr. Porter's research focuses on techniques, tools and empirical studies for improving software development. He is a frequent speaker at scientific conferences, has served on the editorial boards of scientific journals, and has taught numerous courses in the US and abroad. His recent work on using mobile phone and tablet devices, in part to support education, has also been featured in radio shows, in television news stories and in a Fortune magazine article.