The biennial CRA Conference at Snowbird took place last week for Chairs, Department Heads, and Lab Directors from across North America. Nearly 300 people gathered to participate in sessions ranging in topics from issues in government surveillance using the Internet to creating a diverse Computer Science research community. The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) led a variety of sessions throughout the conference. Excitement was high for the programs being put on by the CCC:
- Computing Visions 2025: The Visions 2025 initiative was created to inspire the computing community to envision future trends and opportunities in computing research. Where is the computing field going over the next 10-15 years? What are potential opportunities, disruptive trends, and blind spots? Are there new questions and directions that deserve greater attention by the research community and new investments in computing research? A panel comprised of members from the Visions 2025 steering committee discussed the two workshops which have already happened and the future of this initiative. Slides from the presentation can be found here. To learn more about the Visions 2025 initiative, please visit our website.
- Computing Research Futures: Computing research continues to be at the forefront of innovation, impacting society in ways never before imagined. In this session, speakers will further explore, looking at these new impacts and what the future might hold. Michael Franklin, Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Computer Science at UC Berkeley, began the evening talking about Data Science and where the field is going. Maja Mataric, Professor and Chan Soon-Shiong Chair in Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at University of Southern California, then spoke about Socially Assistive Technologies.
- Refining the Computer Science Postdoc Experience: The number of postdoc appointments in computer science has risen dramatically in the last ten years. There are concerns that postdocs be properly supported and mentored as they start their research careers. This panel will present results from the CCC CIFellows postdoc program and outline efforts underway to refine and measure best practices for hosting postdocs and for supporting their career development. Slides from the presentation can be found here. For more information about the Postdoc Best Practices program, please visit our website.