In 1995, the Computer Science & Telecommunications Board of the National Research Council published the first “Tire Tracks Diagram” – illustrating the complex interplay among government, academia, and industry that has made America the world leader in information technology.  The diagram was included in the “Brooks-Sutherland” report examining the nation’s high performance computing and communications program. In 2003, CSTB updated the diagram in the report “Innovation in Information Technology.” A substantial revision has just been published in the new CSTB report “Continuing Innovation in Information Technology.”  The diagram illustrates the flow from fundamental research in fields such as digital communications, computer architecture, computer graphics, and AI into new multi-billion-dollar industry […]

In December 2010, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) conducted an extensive review of the Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program – the $4B coordinated multi-agency IT R&D program. PCAST has just released a 2012 follow-up to that review, conducted by Susan Graham, Peter Lee, and David Shaw.  The goals were to assess the responses to the 2010 recommendations, propose additional recommendations, and identify emerging research challenges.  Key findings: Research areas from the 2010 report where Federal agencies have made significant progress in sponsoring R&D: Big Data NIT interaction with the physical world Health IT Cybersecurity (although much remains to be done) […]

This week’s episode of David Pogue’s PBS NOVA Science NOW explores the future that is being created by computer scientists: “The technologies that will transform our lives decades from now are already taking shape in laboratories around the world.  David Pogue imagines what the Tech page of The New York Times might look like 10, 20, or 30 years from today, as he meets the innovative engineers and computer scientists working to create thought-controlled video games, robotic exoskeletons, and virtual reality that seamlessly integrates with the real world.” The entire 52-minute episode is “must see TV”!  Check it out here.

This year’s CCC Thanksgiving feel-good story features Joy Buolamwini, a 2012 graduate of the Georgia Tech College of Computing who was recently named a 2013 Rhodes Scholar. “Born in Canada to African parents and having lived in Ghana, Barcelona, Memphis and Atlanta, Buolamwini truly considers herself a global citizen …   “Rhodes is not the first prestigious fellowship program to recognize Buolamwini’s enterprising spirit. She’s also a 2013 Fulbright scholar and will use her grant to improve access to education in Zambia. Her past experience developing web and mobile applications for Atlanta’s Teach for America schools will inform Buolamwini’s efforts with the Zambian Institute for Sustainable Development to create a […]

At last week’s meeting of the Council of the Computing Community Consortium – held at Microsoft Research in Redmond WA – UC Berkeley’s Eric Brewer gave an inspirational presentation about the ability of students to design and build “whole systems.” Simply looking at the slides can’t possibly do justice to Eric’s presentation – especially since Eric agreed to an informal discussion-oriented session.  But the slides are here. The basic theme:  smartphones, 3D printers, Arduino, the “maker” culture, etc., are creating a revolution – a “gadget” and/or “whole system” revolution.  We in academia are behind the 8-ball, and we should catch up.  The result will be more and better students. Eric […]

Erwin Gianchandani joined the Computing Community Consortium as our inaugural Director in April 2010.  Much of the success that the CCC has achieved is directly due to Erwin’s efforts:  he is – among a long list of extraordinary attributes – smart, thoughtful, strategic, well-organized, tireless, and a joy to work with and be around. When you are fortunate enough to hire a young person such as Erwin, you know that at some point he will move on to other opportunities.  We’re sad to report that this day has come.  Next week, Erwin will leave CCC to become Deputy Director of the Division of Computer and Network Systems in NSF’s CISE […]