Category Archives: Computer Science
Why 4-year colleges are tapping Amazon to help deliver cloud computing degrees – Education Dive
Hassan Asqiriba, a computer science student from Mexico, dreams of working for Amazon Web Services or helping businesses use the cloud once he finishes his master's degree at California State University Channel Islands.
That's why this winter, Asqiriba plans to take one of the university's several cloud computing courses, which it launched with the help of Amazon's cloud computing arm. "I see that as a trampoline," Asqiriba said, noting that the class will prepare students to take an AWS certification.
Cal State Channel Islands is part of the growing list of AWS Academy institutions, a group of mostly colleges that select at least one instructor to be authorized by the cloud computing giant to teach its courses to students.
AWS has been laying the groundwork for years to influence how cloud computing education is conducted worldwide. In the U.S. alone, 84 two-year institutions, districts or systems including the Maricopa Community Colleges, in Arizona and 67 four-year colleges have taught at least one of its courses, according to an Education Dive analysis of its publicly available list. These schools are AWS Academy members.
Community colleges are used to working hand-in-hand with employers, including AWS, to develop curriculum. But these kinds of partnerships aren't as typical for four-year schools, which tend to value academic freedom over corporate influence.
Yet rising demand for cloud computing skills has made these relationships more attractive to four-year schools, and many are tapping AWS for help with their courses and degree programs.
College officials who've worked with the technology provider say these partnerships forge a clear connection to the job market and familiarize students with the world's leading cloud computing platform.
Workers trained on one platform can cross over into another, said Pat Phelan, vice president of market research for software company Rimini Street. "The skills are not one-to-one transferable, but the learning gap is much smaller than it would be if you had never used cloud."
Still, there may be drawbacks. There is a "small risk" that colleges could bet on a vendor that doesn't end up being a primary player in the cloud market, Phelan said. "There's a lot of territory out there. They all seem to be doing well."
While AWS controls the largest share of the cloud-computing market, Microsoft and Google aren't far behind, according to industry reports. Educational outreach may be one way AWS is keeping competitors at bay.
House Democrats recently released a sweeping report arguing that Amazon and several other tech companies hold monopolistic power and should be subject to further regulations and restrictions.
Among the myriad findings, several employers told the report's investigators that "the availability of AWS-trained engineers" is one reason they use AWS over other cloud vendors. They also cited it as a barrier for switching platforms or using multiple providers.
Amazon broadly rebuffed the report's conclusions in a lengthy blog post.
When asked by Education Dive whether AWS' educational outreach aims to increase how many companies use its cloud infrastructure, Ken Eisner, director of worldwide education programs at AWS, stressed that the work it does with institutions is meant to "bridge that education-to-career divide."
The market for cloud services is vast and growing. Companies are moving en masse to the cloud, where they can store information over the internet as needed, rather than in on-site servers they must maintain.
In a recent survey of more than 300 chief information officers and senior technology executives, the majority said their companies would moderately or heavily adopt some form of cloud computing in 2020.
The need for cost-savings and business continuity may have hastened those initiatives. Companies were already facing a talent crunch for technology jobs, and mass migration to the cloud is expected to make it even harder to hire for those roles.
Enter AWS. Students can schedule AWS certifications through its website and find courses that prepare them for the exams within degree programs at scores of community colleges nationwide and, increasingly, at universities.
"These days, having a certification from somebody like AWS or Microsoft Azure is often more compelling to a hiring manager than the degree."
Katie Bullard
President, A Cloud Guru
Microsoft and Google also offer cloud computing certifications, but some sources Education Dive interviewed suggested AWS has been leading the industry in working with higher education institutions.
Google has a platform for college faculty to access cloud resources and it offers curriculum they can embed into their courses. It also partnered with the City College of New York to provide students with hands-on training on cloud technologies. And Microsoft offers similar resources for students and instructors.
Universities see a large market for cloud computing education, and they've begun to create four-year degrees in the field. Two of the largest online colleges, Western Governors University and Purdue University Global, debuted programs in the last few years. Others have since followed suit.
Some colleges have worked closely with AWS or other cloud vendors on their curricula, including to embed certifications. These partnerships also may help them attract students who might otherwise look to alternative education providers to enter the industry.
"These days, having a certification from somebody like AWS or Microsoft Azure is often more compelling to a hiring manager than the degree," said Katie Bullard, president of A Cloud Guru, a cloud computing education platform.
While higher education experts note relationships with companies can benefit students and colleges, they warn about potential pitfalls. "Criticisms are going to be around whether colleges ... are actually doing right by their students in the long term," said Elizabeth Popp Berman, a professor and author of the book "Creating the Market University," which explores the history of university-industry relations.
While it's important for colleges to be responsive to the industry, they also should be the ones controlling their curriculum and deciding what's most important for students to learn, rather than "effectively doing job training for companies that don't want to pay for it themselves," she said.
Western Governors worked with AWS earlier this year to refresh its cloud computing curriculum. Together, they crafted new learning objectives and hands-on projects, such as simulations and labs.
The university trumpets the partnership as a way to meet employer demand. "We thought it was really important to help our students really understand the biggest cloud computing provider," said Andy Igonor, the associate dean of the university's information technology college.
Although Western Governors had one AWS certification embedded into its program, the new partnership gives it access to the vendor's suite of courses.
Western Governors instructors receive free training from AWS to become AWS-certified, and the university covers the costs for their certification exams.
AWS provides free training to Academy members and gives them a 50% discount on their exams. For some intermediate-level courses, instructors must also complete a technical validation, which includes giving a demonstration.
Michael Soltys, chair of the computer science department at Cal State Channel Islands, recently became AWS-certified to teach several courses. He also is an AWS Educate Cloud Ambassador, joining a legion of roughly 750 students and instructors who promote the company's educational programs.
Cal State Channel Islands is incorporating AWS-provided curriculum throughout its classes, usually in the form of hands-on projects or examples. Instructors freely choose which they include in their courses, Soltys said.
He thinks students will be able to transition to working on another provider's platform even if they're only familiar with AWS. "If you learn one of them, you'll learn the other," he said. "It's really enough to just pick one of those technologies and work with that."
Yet Bullard, of A Cloud Guru, contends they are different enough that workers typically will have to get certifications from other vendors if they plan on working with their products. A Cloud Guru offers training on all three leading platforms and has a partnership AWS.
Cal State Channel Islands offers several courses developed by AWS.
Western Governors is gearing up to launch another cloud computing degree next year with an AWS specialization.
Igonor hopes to bring other vendors into the fold as well. Eventually, he'd like the university to add degree specializations for Microsoft and Google products.
He envisions students being able to choose among the specializations, as needed. "If you're in an industry where Google is really what they're using, you'll go through the generic program and add a Google certification," Igonor said. "Same thing if you're an AWS shop."
Institutions that mostly cater to working adult learners, which includes Western Governors, have been more open to working with a company to craft curriculum, said Michael Horn, a senior strategist at Guild Education, which offers a platform for companies to provide tuition benefits. Regional comprehensive universities, whose curricula tends to straddle job training and traditional education, may also be willing partners, he said.
Still other colleges may want to join forces with a company to help keep pace with the fast-changing job market, Horn said.
Morgan State University, a historically Black college in Maryland, debuted a cloud computing program this year in part to graduate more students into the lucrative field. One industry report estimated that in 2019, cloud computing skills translated to a roughly $111,500 salary.
Not everyone enters the computer science field to get a Ph.D., said Paul Wang, chair of the university's computer science department. "The majority, they come to get a job."
Morgan State also has included some AWS content in its curriculum, and some labs feature work on the cloud provider's platform. However, the university also includes other vendors, such as Microsoft. College officials took cues from industry and academia when developing the program so students would have a balance of real-world skills and creative problem-solving, Wang said.
AWS representatives approached Morgan State's president last year, though no official partnerships materialized, a university spokesperson said.
AWS'Eisner said the company approaches colleges, and institutions seek out its services. "Some criteria that we do look at is the ability of the institution to move at speed, ... the excitement of their educators and academic team, and obviously, the need in their community," he said.
Not all universities look to AWS or other tech companies for help with their cloud computing degrees, though many still have an eye toward industry. Purdue Global partnered with ManTech, a large government contractor focused on cybersecurity and data analytics, to launch its four-year cloud computing degree in 2018. The program draws roughly one-quarter of its students from the company, which subsidizes their tuition.
"They were looking for the cloud computing skill set in their organization, and it was kind of a priority for them to find the right fit from an academic standpoint," said Tina Burton, associate dean of the university's business and information technology school.
ManTech predominantly uses AWS and Azure, Burton added, so those are the cloud service providers the degree focuses on. Students can also receive college credit for completing certain certifications on either platform, though neither vendor has been involved in curricular development.
Offering training on multiple platforms can be expensive, however. The cost to use cloud platforms is generally calculated by usage time, and students can easily rack up hours working on projects, Burton said.
Vendors tend to offer students a limited number of free credits to use their platforms. However, Purdue Global subscribes to A Cloud Guru, a third-party provider that offers access to AWS and Azure test environments. It's more cost-effective than paying for them separately, Burton said. More than 120 colleges use A Cloud Guru, which offers resources to build cloud computing curriculum.
"If you learn one of them, you'll learn the other. It's really enough to just pick one of those technologies and work with that."
Michael Soltys
Computer science chair, Cal State Channel Islands
The accelerated cloud computing program at Marymount University, in Virginia, also aims to align with industry needs. It's designed for students who already have completed or are underway with a bachelor's degree.
While the university's curriculum includes information about a wide range of providers, it offers hands-on learning experiences mostly in AWS and Azure.
Northern Virginia is home to Amazon's second headquarters, which is expected to eventually employ some 25,000 workers. The surrounding Washington, D.C., suburbs are also brimming with AWS data centers and government contractors.
The region houses one of the largest concentrations of data centers in the world, and cloud computing jobs there are poised to grow. AWS wants to build a massive data center campus in the area. Microsoft and Google are also planning to expand in the region.
Local companies influenced how Marymount structured its cloud computing program, which debuted last year. "We've recognized that cloud is an important employment area in our region," said Diane Murphy, director of the university's school of technology and innovation.
The university takes advantage of AWS'offer to let students freely access their platform, Murphy said, calling the company "a big gorilla in the room."
The program also incorporates Azure because it's what many government contractors prefer to use, Murphy said. The Department of Defense awarded its coveted $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft last year. A federal judge, however, has halted work on the contract while Amazon challenges the Pentagon's decision in court.
But Murphy offered another, simpler, reason the university limits its hands-on focus, at least for now: "There are only so many hours in a day."
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Why 4-year colleges are tapping Amazon to help deliver cloud computing degrees - Education Dive
Army Teams With Howard University on AI Center MeriTalk – MeriTalk
The U.S. Army is partnering up with Howard University as they continue to assist the Department of Defense (DoD) guide its research in developing its $7.5 million center of excellence meant to deliver AI technologies.
This center of excellence is a big win for the Army and DOD on many fronts, said Army senior research scientist for intelligent systems Dr. Brian Sadler, who is managing this partnership for DoD. The research is directly aligned with Army priorities and will address pressing problems in both developing and applying AI tools and techniques in several key applications.
According to a release, the Howard University Center of Excellence in AI and Machine Learning managed by the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory intends to explore vital civilian applications and multi-domain military operations in three key areas:
Further, the infrastructure plans are to include fellowships and scholarships for science, technology, engineering, and math graduate students and early-career research faculty at the laboratory.
Diversity of science and diversity of the future S&T talent base go hand-in-hand in this new and exciting partnership, Dr. Sadler said.
The center will be led by Howard Universitys Prof. Danda Rawata professor of computer science and director of Howards Data Science & Cybersecurity Centerwith work beginning in mid-November with a kickoff meeting.
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Army Teams With Howard University on AI Center MeriTalk - MeriTalk
Faculty, alumni, other members of U of T community named to Order of Canada – News@UofT
The first woman to serve as dean of the University of Torontos Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. A former federal minister of foreign affairs and minister of national defence. A family physician who advocates for the homeless, drug users and other marginalized groups. A world-leading astrophysicist.
These are just a few members of theU of T community faculty, alumni and supporters who have been appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada in its latest round. Presented by the governor general, the Order of Canada is one of the countrys highest civilian honours andrecognizes people whose service, innovations and compassion shapeCanadian society, foster imagination and unite people and communities.
The latest list of Order of Canada appointments and promotions was announced Fridayby Governor GeneralJulie Payette, herself a U of T alumna. It includes ProfessorCristina Amon,who was the first female dean of U of Ts Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering;University ProfessorEugenia Kumacheva, an expert in polymers and nanoparticles;Bill Graham, the chancellor of Trinity College; Associate ProfessorPhilip Berger, a family physician and a longtime advocate for vulnerable patients; and Sara Seager, an astrophysicistwho recently played a role in a discovery that points to potential life in the atmosphere of Venus.
Here is a list of U of T faculty, alumni, supporters and friends who were appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada in the latest round:
Cristina Amon, a professor of mechanical engineering and dean emerita of U of Ts Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, was named a Member of the Order for her contributions to the advancement of the field of engineering, and to research and innovation across Canada. Under her leadership, Canadas top-ranked engineering school has become a global hub for inter-disciplinary research and education. Her commitment to outreach and diversity led to the number of women faculty members at U of T Engineering doubling in the last decade and the number of womenenrolled as first-year undergraduates exceeding40 per cent in recent years.
Philip Berger, an associate professor in the department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of his longstanding efforts to bring the social determinants of health to the forefront of medical care and for his strong advocacy on behalf of vulnerable patients. Berger, who was named to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2017, co-founded the Toronto HIV Primary Care Physicians Group and established the HIV Project Centre Primary Care Mentor Program.
Allan Borodin, University Professor in the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of his expertise in theoretical computer science and for his development of nationally recognized computational models and analyses. Borodin is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)and a recipient of the 2008 CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize, and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Association of Computer Science.
James Drake, a professor of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and division chief of pediatric neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children, was named a Member of the Order for his leadership in the field of pediatric neurosurgery and for his contributions to the treatment of complex childhood disorders. Drake is a senior associate scientist at the SickKids Research Institute, leads the Centre of Image Guided Innovation and Therapeutic Interventionand is co-lead of the Centre of Excellence in Image Guided Care. He is also co-director of the Centre of Mathematical Medicine at U of Ts Fields Institute.
Bill Graham, the chancellor of Trinity College and former federal minister of foreign affairs and minister of national defence, was promoted to Officer of the Order in recognition of his sustained contributions to politics and academia, and for his philanthropic endeavours. He earned his honours bachelors degree in modern history as a member of Trinity and, in 1964, received his law degree winning the gold medal from U of T. He also taught at the Faculty of Law before being elected to parliament.
Eugenia Kumacheva, University Professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science and an expert in polymers and nanoparticles, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of her contributions to chemistry, notably through microfluidics and polymer research, and for her efforts as an advocate for women in science. A Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Materials and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Kumachevas research has been backed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Connaught Fund, and the LOreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award, among others.
Marietta Orlov was an associate professor in the piano performance department at U of Ts Faculty of Music and a major donor to the university. She died on Nov. 7, 2020 at age 88. Orlov was named a Member of the Order for her lifelong contributions as a piano pedagogue and for her enduring devotion to the next generation of Canadian musicians.
Martha Billes, business leader and controlling shareholder of Canadian Tire who graduated from U of T in 1963, was named an Officer of the Order for her achievements in business and for her philanthropy, notably through the creation of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, a nationwide foundation dedicated to providing access to sport and activities to disadvantaged children.
William Blaikie, a formermember of the House of Commons who graduated with a master of divinity degree from Emmanuel College, Toronto School of Theology in 1977, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of his lifelong contributions to parliamentary service, and for his steadfast commitment to progressive change and social activism.
Philip Michael Epstein, a distinguished litigator and founding partner of Epstein Cole LLP, was named a Member of the Order for his leadership in Canadian family law and for pioneering programs in dispute resolution now emulated across the country. Epstein earned his law degree from U of Ts Faculty of Law in 1968.
Marcia Kran, an expert in criminal law and human rights law and member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of her contributions to the advancement of international human rights and development, and for her steadfast advocacy of democratic governance. Kran graduated from U of T with a masters degree in political science in 1989.
Judy Matthews, a retired urban planner and philanthropist, was named a Member of the Order for her ground-breaking contributions to Torontos cultural and urban landscapesas an urban planner and philanthropist. Matthews earned a bachelor's degree from Trinity College.
Lucy Lynn McIntyre, a professor emerita in the department of community health sciences at the University of Calgary, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of her influential research on health equity and food insecurity, and for her contributions to public health policies in Canada. McIntyre earned a medical degree and a master of health science degree from U of T, where she also completed residency training in community medicine.
Sarah Milroy, who, along with her husband Thomas Milroy, donated to the Miners Lamp Innovation Fund in support of research into the prevention and early detection of severe mental illness at U of Ts department of psychiatry, was named a Member of the Order for her promotion of Canadian art and artists as an editor, publisher, critic and curator.
Peggy Nash, a former member of parliament and senior labour leader, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of her contributions to womens employment equity, human rights and gender representation in all levels of public office. Nash earned a bachelor's degree from U of T as a member of Victoria College.
John David Runnalls, former president of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of his decades-long commitment topromoting environmentally sustainable development around the world. He graduated from U of Ts Faculty of Arts & Science in 1966as a member of Victoria College, with a bachelor of arts in political science and economics.
Sara Seager, who graduated with an honours bachelor of science from the Faculty of Arts & Science in 1994 as a member of University College, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of her multidisciplinary research that has contributed to transforming the study of extrasolar planets into a full-fledged planetary science. Seager is one of the worlds leading astrophysicists and author of the critically acclaimed memoir The Smallest Lights in The Universe.
Peter Warrian ofthe Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policywas named a Member of the Order in recognition of his expertise as a lead researcher in the Canadian steel industry, and for his philanthropic contributions to international health issues.Warrian has donatedin support of the Christianity and the Arts course at St. Michaels College, the Canadian Studies Interdisciplinary Prize and the Peter Warrian Graduate Award.
Kenneth Wilson, an associate professor at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine who earned his medical degree from U of T, was named a Member of the Order for his nationally recognized expertise in reconstructive and plastic surgery, and for his volunteer work on international medical missions.
Two recipients of honorary degrees from U of T were named Companions of the Order of Canada.
Monique Begin, who received an honorary degree from U of T in 1998, was promoted to Companion of the Order for her lifelong contributions to public health, education and global human rights, and for consistently strengthening Canadas international reputation in these fields.
Mark Tewksbury, an Olympian who received an honorary degree from U of T in 2019, was named a Companion of the Order for his athletic excellence and sport leadership, and for championing equity, inclusion and human rights, both on and off the field of play.
Did we miss anybody? If you know of an Order of Canada honouree with ties to U of T who was announced in this latest round but isn't mentioned above, please let us know atuoftnews@utoronto.ca.
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Faculty, alumni, other members of U of T community named to Order of Canada - News@UofT
GCVI’s Tremain running to the NCAA on scholarship – GuelphToday
Tennessee Tremain has signed on to run track and cross country at Monmouth University in New Jersey
Almost four months after setting a world record for running a mile while dribbling a basketball, Guelphs Tennessee Tremain has signed on to run, minus the basketball, for the Monmouth University Hawks of West Long Branch, N.J., in NCAA track and field and cross-country competitions.
He signed his letter of intent in a socially-responsible ceremony earlier this month on the stairs outside Guelph CVI, where hes a Grade 12 student.
In general, the day and the ceremony was really, really amazing, he said.
I had my family show up including grandparents, aunts and uncles. I had a couple friends show up and a couple teachers which was really awesome for me because they're all the people who have supported me for so long and they're the ones who have gotten me to the point where I have these opportunities so it was really, really good to have them all there. The signing that I did is just as much attributed to the work I put in as to the work that they put in.
Recruiting and deciding on a university to attend is a little different in these current times as in-person visits to U.S. schools are out of the question.
It was sort of a little bit disappointing that I wasn't able to visit a school in person, but I definitely know that some of the schools I talked to and especially the one I'm going to really made it easy for me and they really did all they could so that I did get a full experience and experience I could have had if I was on some sort of live tour, Tremain said.
I have not been to the school, but I'm hoping that once all this COVID-19 situation simmers down a little bit and it gets a little bit less threatening to so many people and maybe the border's open, I'm looking to go and visit and see it as soon as possible. Of course, it's not that easy at this point. I've been on a sort of video campus tour and I've seen the campus from every single direction, every which way, online. I will be real excited to see it in person for the first time, but as of right now I have not seen it.
Tremain is a reigning OFSAA champion on the track when he won the junior boys 3,000 metres title when the Ontario provincial high school track and field championships were held at Alumni Stadium early in June, 2019. This years OFSAA championships that were to be held in Toronto were cancelled.
The 17-year-old is looking to concentrate on computer science at Monmouth.
I'm really into that sort of thing, he said. I'm also really into things like math and physics and that sort of thing. There is a particular computer science program at Monmouth University which sort of encompasses it all which I thought was really, really neat. I do love computer science, computer programming, computer ideas and concepts and I thought that was really good. Being able to be able to do that with taking a lot of math courses in my mind is just the perfect sort of course that I would like to take.
Yes, Tremain is a bit of a computer geek.
I definitely am, he agreed. I love working on problems and having problems in my head and being able to figure them out. In particular, computer programming where it's a lot of logic and concepts involved, that's right up my alley. I love having a problem being given to me and just working a while to try to think my way through it and solve it somehow.
While sports at school have been a no-go this year, Tremain has managed to get in a competition or two running for his Laurel Creek Track and Field Club.
Athletics Ontario hosted a couple of regional meets and they did a fantastic job with the COVID-19 protocols with social distancing and group numbers. It was really, really well done, he said.
We might have been sent out in groups of eight, I think, so I was able to get a little bit of competition in there. Still, it's not ideal and it's not generally what you'd be looking for in a season, but special props to my coaches, other coaches and the people setting up the meet for Athletics Ontario because it was really, really well run."
Tremain won the U18 boys race with a gap of more than 15 seconds to the second-place finisher. His Laurel Creek teammates combined to win the team title as the team had five runners finish in the top 13 and seven in the top 20.
I did pretty well, Tremain said. I did end up coming first in the U18 boys' in what would be the West Regional meet. Also our team for the U18 boys also won which was really amazing. It was awesome having all the guys running really well throughout the season and to finally put it all together as a team because everyone had been working so hard. It was just really amazing to see everyone sort of succeed all at the same time. That was really amazing.
Another thing really amazing for Tremain and all the other participants was just getting to compete.
Competition is just something for so many people, especially me, that really sort of gets you going, he said. It's something that inspires me and inspires a lot of people so to be able to actually compete for the first time in a while, it really got me excited and it got a lot of people excited. To have those opportunities for competition, especially at a time like this, it's just something that I was really lucky to have the opportunity to compete. It was amazing. I love competing and the way they set it up was incredible.
Now Tremain will concentrate on both his academics and athletics as he gets ready to begin his time at Monmouth.
To get ready to go, I'm going to continue to train with my club, he said. I'm going to continue to stay active and continue running and pursue everything that I'm excited and inspired to do and motivated to do.
In terms of school, I'm also a very academically-driven person and I really enjoy learning so throughout this final year of my high school, I'll be extremely engaged. There are several courses I have to take and am extremely interested to take. I feel like both athletically and academically, I'm going to stay super engaged because I'm motivated and inspired to continue through both of them. To get ready for going away next year, I think I'll be pretty prepared.
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GCVI's Tremain running to the NCAA on scholarship - GuelphToday
CHEN | Put Computer Science in the Common Core – Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun
I could easily have gone through high school without writing a single line of code.
The one computer science course I did take was selected on a whim, a simple space-filler for my senior year schedule. Science and math were enjoyable enough, and tech seemed like the next unexplored realm. But I was also on the edge of taking a random biotechnology elective, zoology class or just leaving the space free to take extra naps. There was little to no initiative or requirement to learn about computing other than the fact that I found phone apps addictive and played around with Scratch when I was a kid. AP Computer Science had the same weight as my elective journalism or strings classes, not AP Chemistry or AP Language and Composition.
Yet, upon coming to Cornell (and Im sure this is true of other universities), there is a seemingly never-ending abundance of computer science majors. Every which way, the phrase Im majoring in computer science, or some variation of it, pops up. Ill acknowledge, Im guilty of saying this phrase every time theres a new icebreaker on the horizon. The people I come into contact with on a daily basis are skewed to be more interested in tech. But as high schoolers, you are rarely exposed to tech, one of the largest fields coming into university and industry as well. The common core found in high schools does not actively reflect our job market, or even the fields of interest as they are in university. There is too much emphasis on general and theory-filled subjects and too little focus on more application-based topics like how to write a check and how to calculate a tip. The common core is outdated and begging for an upgrade. Why is it that computer science is one of the largest majors at Cornell, but is rarely explored before university?
Cornell Engineering has already started to notice this trend with the recently added requirement for all engineering students to take a computing course. Its not uncommon for a student to take CS 1110: Introduction to Computing Using Python and immediately pivoting their career path into computing. For some, this requirement is the sole reason why they consider a future in tech. There are regrets that they hadnt learned about it sooner, as opposed to other students who participated in coding summer camps or opted to take computing electives available in their high school program. If this exposure takes such a hold on university students, why dont we expose high school students to it as well?
Speaking from the perspective of a primarily STEM-focused student in high school who labored her way through each English, Social Studies and Foreign Language course, the common core should aim to balance the curriculum out with a year-long requirement for a technology course. Science and math will always be essentials for me, but I hope that computer science will bring to students something that feels a little more applicable to the real world.
Beyond the quickly expanding field and vast career opportunities, coding in general is a skill that more high schoolers should be exposed to. From all that Ive learned in the past two years, coding becomes more of a mindset rather than a dense load of course work. It teaches you how to solve types of problems rather than individual plug and chugs that you can enter into a calculator. You learn to properly explain your thought processes every time you document your code. You learn to think critically about what youve typed and how it should function. When it doesnt function that way you think it should, you get to practice troubleshooting, figuring out where your program and thought process went wrong. I cant say that learning how to code transformed my attitude or allowed me to transcend any basic mental processes, but it definitely has been mind-bending to think about problems as a whole, rather than individually conquering them. You have to solve how to do something for a whole group of inputs, not just a singular question where x equals 16 and y equals 92. No matter the future career, just about anyone can benefit from learning how to write a for-loop or create a new variable.
You may be wondering, at what cost though? What subject would have to go? What part of our picture-perfect common core would have to give?
The answer is nothing. There is plenty of room in the common core these days for improvement. For a system that has been static for so many years as the U.Ss dynamic job market grows, its due for an update as well.
I cant speak for all high schools, but there was definitely some leeway within the high school curriculum at my school to get everything done with a few elective courses to spare. And if not, plenty of coding summer camps and programs could be eligible to satisfy this computer science requirement for students. High school is supposed to be a place where you explore countless subjects and maybe, hopefully, begin to figure out what you want to study for the rest of your life. We shouldnt deprive these teenagers of one of the largest fields in our society today. High school may have been stuffed with teen drama, identity crises and college applications, but for me, a few things might have been cleared up earlier if I had taken AP Computer Science in freshman year, rather than senior year.
Jonna Chen is a sophomore in the College of Engineering. She can be reached at jc2627@cornell.edu. jonna.write() runs every other Wednesday this semester.
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CHEN | Put Computer Science in the Common Core - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun
Baylor University Invites Application for McCollum Endowed Chair of Data Science – Analytics Insight
Baylor University is inviting application for the position of McCollum Family Endowed Chair in Data Science in its Computer Science and Informatics Department.
The McCollum Family Endowed Chair in Data Science is a research-focused position in the Baylor University Computer Science and Informatics Department. Data Science is one of the five Signature Academic Initiatives in Baylors strategic plan Illuminate (Illuminate Data Science) and is involved in key research for the University (Data Science Research). This transformative, endowed position is a visionary investment in the future of Data Science research and education across the university (Endowment Details).
Qualifications: The University invites applications for this tenure-track position at the rank of full Professor beginning in the Fall 2021 semester. An ideal candidate will help shape a comprehensive, university-wide strategic plan for Data Science. This will be done through leadership, collaboration, and growth of infrastructure and interdisciplinary research. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Data Science or a related discipline; Baylor is recruiting new faculty with a deep commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. Other qualifications include an established history of extramural funding, high impact academic artifacts, and graduate student mentorship. A viable applicant should demonstrate excellent potential as an individual researcher and collaborator across multiple disciplines.
The Department: Computer Science and Informatics is one of three departments in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. It offers a B.S. in Informatics with majors in Data Science and Bioinformatics, B.S. and B.A. degrees in Computer Science, and a B.S. in Computing with a major in Computer Science Fellows. On location M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science are offered, as well as an online M.S. program which started Fall 2020. The Department has 17 full-time faculty, over 280 undergraduates, and over 25 graduate students. Departmental website: Informatics
The University: Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, consistently listed with highest honors among The Chronicle of Higher Educations Great Colleges to Work For. Baylor seeks faculty who share in our aspiration to become a tier-one research institution while strengthening our distinctive Christian mission. As the worlds largest Baptist University, Baylor offers over 40 doctoral programs and has over 17,000 students from all 50 states and more than 85 countries.
Appointment Date: Fall 2021. For full consideration, applications must be received by December 31, 2020.
Application Procedure: To apply, please submit a letter of application, a 1-2 page research plan, a 1-2 page teaching philosophy, a copy of an official transcript showing the highest degree conferred (if the Ph.D. is in progress, a copy of the official transcript of completed Ph.D. hours should also be submitted), and the names and email addresses of three persons willing to provide letters of recommendation as a single PDF file through this Interfolio link: Application Link Finalists for this position will be required to submit official transcripts for the doctoral degree in advance of a campus visit. Inquiries about the position can be sent to CSSearch@Baylor.edu.
Baylor University is a private not-for-profit university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, Baylor is committed to compliance with all applicable antidiscrimination laws, including those regarding age, race, color, sex, national origin, marital status, pregnancy status, military service, genetic information, and disability. As a religious educational institution, Baylor is lawfully permitted to consider an applicants religion as a selection criterion. Baylor encourages women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply.
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Baylor University Invites Application for McCollum Endowed Chair of Data Science - Analytics Insight
Carleton Hosts Herzberg Lecture on Increasing Diversity in Computer Science with Maria Klawe – Carleton Newsroom
Carleton Universitys Faculty of Science will host the 2020 Herzberg Lecture, Increasing Diversity in Computer Science at All Levels, presented by Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College. The lecture will explore why participation by women and people of colour remains low in most computer science departments among undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. Klawe will discuss successful strategies to address this issue.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 at 7 p.m.To Register: https://science.carleton.ca/events/herzberg-lecture/
The lecture is free and open to the public.
The Herzberg Lecture is held annually in honour of Gerhard Herzberg, a former chancellor of Carleton and recipient of the 1971 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The lectures emphasize the relationship between science and society and seek to address an aspect of science which has a pronounced impact on our daily lives.
About Maria Klawe
Klawe began her tenure as Harvey Mudd Colleges (HMC) fifth president in 2006. A renowned computer scientist and scholar, Klawe is the first woman to lead the college since its founding in 1955. Prior to joining HMC, she served as dean of engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton University. Klawe joined Princeton from the University of British Columbia where she served as dean of science from 1998 to 2002, vice-president of student and academic services from 1995 to 1998 and head of the Department of Computer Science from 1988 to 1995. Prior to UBC, Klawe spent eight years with IBM Research in California, and two years at the University of Toronto.
Klawe is a renowned lecturer and has given talks at international conferences, national symposia, and colleges across the U.S. and Canada about diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines and industries, gender and gaming, and lessons from her own career in STEM industry and education. She has devoted particular attention in recent years to improving K-12 science and mathematics education.
Klawe is the recipient of the 2014 Women of Vision ABIE Award for Leadership and was ranked 17 on Fortunes 2014 list of the Worlds 50 Greatest Leaders. In 2015 she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Association of Computer Science and the Achievement Award from the American Association of University Women, and she was inducted into the US News STEM Solutions Leadership Hall of Fame. She was honoured by the Computing Research Associations 2016 Distinguished Service Award. In 2017, Klawe was awarded the Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Brenna MackayCommunications Co-ordinatorCarleton Universitybrenna.mackay@carleton.ca
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New study outlines steps higher education should take to prepare a new quantum workforce | College of Science | RIT – RIT University News Services
A new study outlines ways colleges and universities can update their curricula to prepare the workforce for a new wave of quantum technology jobs. Three researchers, including Rochester Institute of Technology Associate Professor Ben Zwickl, suggested steps that need to be taken in a new paper in Physical Review Physics Education Research after interviewing managers at more than 20 quantum technology companies across the U.S.
The studys authors from University of Colorado Boulder and RIT set out to better understand the types of entry-level positions that exist in these companies and the educational pathways that might lead into those jobs. They found that while the companies still seek employees with traditional STEM degrees, they want the candidates to have a grasp of fundamental concepts in quantum information science and technology.
For a lot of those roles, theres this idea of being quantum aware thats highly desirable, said Zwickl, a member of RITs Future Photon Initiative and Center for Advancing STEM Teaching, Learning and Evaluation. The companies told us that many positions dont need to have deep expertise, but students could really benefit from a one- or two-semester introductory sequence that teaches the foundational concepts, some of the hardware implementations, how the algorithms work, what a qubit is, and things like that. Then a graduate can bring in all the strength of a traditional STEM degree but can speak the language that the company is talking about.
The authors said colleges and universities should offer introductory, multidisciplinary courses with few prerequisites that will allow software engineering, computer science, physics, and other STEM majors to learn the core concepts together. Zwickl said providing quantum education opportunities to students across disciplines will be important because quantum technology has the opportunity to disrupt a wide range of fields.
Its a growing industry that will produce new sensors, imaging, communication, computing technologies, and more, said Zwickl. A lot of the technologies are in a research and development phase, but as they start to move toward commercialization and mass production, you will have end-users who are trying to figure out how to apply the technology. They will need technical people on their end that are fluent enough with the ideas that they can make use of it.
Zwickls participation in the project was supported in part by funding RIT received from the NSFs Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes program. As a co-PI and lead on the education and workforce development for the proposal, he said he is hoping to apply many of the lessons learned from the study to RITs curriculum. He is in the process of developing two new introductory RIT courses in quantum information and science as well as an interdisciplinary minor in the field.
To read the full study, visit the American Physical Society website.
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MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing awards $270000 to Wayne State University artificial intelligence projects – The South End
The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing at Wayne State University recently awarded a combined $270,000 in funding to three transformative innovation research projects led by Wayne State researchers, including a School of Medicine associate professor. These projects aim to tackle deep technology opportunities in high-impact sectors, such as artificial intelligence machine learning, augmented reality and intelligent automation.
Deep tech is tackling some of the worlds greatest challenges, with many such technologies from Michigan research institutions having the potential to make tremendous impact on economic development, said Edward Kim, program director of MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing. We are thrilled to support the second cohort of research teams in the advanced computing technologies.
The MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing call for applications attracted competitive and innovative technology proposals from researchers around the state, with seven projects selected
as finalists. The researchers presented their proposals to an oversight committee comprised of experienced technologists, entrepreneurs, industry partners and venture capitalists with a track record of commercializing and investing in frontier technologies. In addition to funding, the researchers will receive valuable mentorship support from the committee members as their projects progress toward commercialization.
The three Wayne State projects funded by the hub focused on transformational innovations that have the potential to bring disruptive solutions to the market in their respective fields. Funded projects include:
Arash Javanbakht, M.D., associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, is developing a telehealth exposure therapy platform using augmented reality to provide clinicians remote treatment capability.
Jeremy Rickli, Ph.D., associate professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is commercializing an automation intelligence and digital twin technology that delivers an integration of prescriptive analytics capability and augmented reality to optimize robotic and automated system operations.
Ming Dong, Ph.D., professor of Computer Science, is developing DeepWave, an artificial intelligence acoustic analysis technology that can deliver sound element separation and audio enhancement in real time.
Two additional Wayne State University projects received positive feedback as runners-up from the oversight committee: Yanchao Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, for a drone air traffic management system; and Alan Dombkowski, Ph.D., professor of Pediatrics, for Disulfide by Design, a protein-binding analysis technology for pharmaceutical applications.
The three funded projects, along with the runners-up, will receive extensive support from Wayne States Technology Commercialization staff, the MTRAC Advanced Computing Oversight Committee and the program director to accelerate the technologies toward commercialization.
Wayne States Office of the Vice President of Research and the Technology Commercialization Office have been instrumental in advancing the early-stage technologies derived from the research enterprise toward commercialization. Under the leadership of Joan Dunbar, Ph.D., associate vice president for Technology Commercialization, their operations have leveraged an ecosystem of funding, mentoring and connections to industry experts to provide comprehensive support to address the cultural, technological and financial challenges associated with the translation of innovative early-stage technologies from academia to the marketplace.
We are extremely excited to have the commitment of a world-class oversight committee to guide the development and application of these research-derived innovations, Dr. Dunbar said. The funding and mentorship provided by the MTRAC program are key to achieving milestones toward ultimate commercialization of the projects and societal impact. The support of the MEDC is critical to these programs.
In 2019, Wayne States Technology Commercialization Office was selected by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to manage the MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing. Wayne States extensive ties to regional industry and the entrepreneurial ecosystem and initiatives make the university well-positioned to host the MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing at a statewide level.
The hub is part of a network of statewide innovation hubs that includes the MTRAC Innovation Hub for Life Sciences at the University of Michigan, the MTRAC Innovation Hub for AgBio at Michigan State University, the MTRAC Advanced Applied Materials Innovation Hub at Michigan Technological University and the MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Transportation at the University of Michigan. Each hub is strategically located at a university with significant strengths in the sector, further increasing the quality and quantity of resources available.
The MTRAC program is supported by funds from the Michigan Strategic Fund and administered by the MEDC, with additional funding from partner institutions. Since inception through September, MTRAC programs have received 658 proposals, funded 306 projects, developed 52 startup companies, licensed 34 technologies to industry partners and secured more than $209 million in follow-on funding.
MEDCs Entrepreneurship & Innovation initiative establishes Michigan as the place to create and grow a business by providing high-tech startup companies access to a variety of critical resources, such as funding and expert counsel, from concept to maturation. For more information on MEDCs Entrepreneurship & Innovation, visit http://www.michiganbusiness.org/entrepreneurship.
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New smartwatch app alerts deaf and hard-of-hearing users to common home-related sounds – National Science Foundation
Prototype used machine learning to classify sounds in real time
Researchers have developed a smartwatch app for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
November 10, 2020
Smartwatches offer people a private method for getting notifications about their surroundings -- such as a phone call, health alerts or an upcoming package delivery.
Now University of Washington researchers have developed SoundWatch, a smartwatch app for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who want to be aware of nearby sounds. When the smartwatch picks up a sound the user is interested in -- examples include a siren, a microwave beeping or a bird chirping -- SoundWatch will identify it and send the user a friendly buzz along with information about the sound.
The U.S. National Science Foundation-funded team recently presented these findings at the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) conference on computing and accessibility.
"This technology provides people with a way to experience sounds that require an action -- such as getting food from the microwave when it beeps," said lead author Dhruv Jain, a UW researcher in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.
Jain was born hard of hearing. "I use the watch prototype to notice birds chirping and waterfall sounds when I am hiking. It makes me feel present in nature. My hope is that other deaf and hard-of-hearing people who are interested in sounds will also find SoundWatch helpful."
The team started this project by designing a system called HomeSound for deaf and hard-of-hearing people who wanted to know what was going on around their homes.
"I used to sleep through the fire alarm," said Jain.
The researchers tested HomeSound in the Seattle-area homes of six deaf or hard-of-hearing participants for three weeks. Participants were instructed to go about their lives as normal and complete weekly surveys.
Based on feedback, a prototype used machine learning to classify sounds in real time. The researchers created a dataset of over 31 hours of 19 common home-related sounds, such as a dog bark or a cat meow, a baby crying or a knock on the door.
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