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CU seeks more female computer geeks
Oct 24th
TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE WITH MORE
WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
The University of Colorado Boulder today announced that it has implemented several new programs over the past three years designed to make computer science more female-friendly, with the larger goal of increasing the number of women employed in technology roles nationwide.
The programs are starting to pay off with the number of women enrolled in CU-Boulder’s Bachelor of Science in computer science degree more than doubling from 18 students in 2007 (8 percent of majors at that time) to 47 students (17 percent of current majors) in 2011, said Professor James Martin, chair of the Department of Computer Science.
The Department of Computer Science at CU-Boulder is working to increase its female student enrollment through enhanced outreach to high schools, new content in its introductory computing courses designed to appeal to non-computing majors, better community support for female computer science majors and work on a new computer science degree program for students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The new content in the introductory computing courses moves away from traditional, abstract examples of linked lists and binary trees to adopt a media-based focus in which students develop programs to manipulate sounds and process images, Martin said.
The new degree program, which is currently under review, is a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science that would allow students in the College of Arts and Sciences to major in computer science while also providing space in their curriculum to earn a major or minor in another field of study. It is hoped that this new degree will lead to further increases in the number of women taking computer science due to the more balanced gender demographics of the College of Arts and Sciences, Martin said.
Taken together, the initiatives are designed to attract women to the field who might otherwise have dismissed computer science as being too focused on programming without realizing the positive impact computer science can have on society and people’s quality of life.
The efforts are part of the Department of Computer Science’s participation in NCWIT Pacesetters, a fast-track program from the National Center for Women & Information Technology in which universities and corporations commit to increasing their numbers of women in technical fields. Pacesetters organizations work to recruit previously untapped talent pools and retain women who are at risk of leaving, resulting in “net new” women for the computing and IT workforce.
“We’re excited to see a growing number of women take interest in our computer science degree programs,” Martin said. “It’s great for the discipline of computer science as a whole to have participation by a broader range of backgrounds and perspectives. We also see room for growth. Women currently make up 17 percent of our undergraduate program; we would like to see that percentage increase to support the national goal of NCWIT to achieve gender parity in information technology over the next 20 years.”
Ken Anderson, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies for the Department of Computer Science, agrees. “Our work as part of Pacesetters has spurred improvements across our entire undergraduate program. These improvements, while designed to attract more participation in computer science by women, result in a higher quality experience for all of our students.”
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 1.4 million computing-related jobs will be available in the U.S. workforce by 2018, yet by current trends American colleges and universities will produce less than one-third of the trained graduates needed to fill these jobs. Increasing the participation of women, who currently represent half the professional workforce but hold only 25 percent of technology jobs, holds the potential to increase both the quantity and quality of U.S. technical talent.
The current cohort of NCWIT Pacesetters organizations includes Apple Inc.; AT&T Corp.; ATLAS Institute; Bank of America; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Carnegie Mellon University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Google Inc.; IBM Corp.; Indiana University; Intel Corp.; Microsoft Corp.; Pfizer Inc.; Qualcomm Inc.; Santa Clara University; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Colorado Boulder; University of Texas at Austin; University of Virginia; University of Washington; Villanova; and Virginia Tech.
-CU-
CU-Boulder, USCS to lead E-vehicle studies
Oct 17th
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Boulder faculty will join with University of Colorado Colorado Springs faculty to teach courses in the design and implementation of electric vehicle drivetrains to new and retraining engineers.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently provided a five-year $954,000 grant to UCCS for the development of courses to prepare engineers for careers in developing new technologies for vehicles having electric drivetrains. The master’s-level courses will be taught by both UCCS and CU Boulder faculty members with expertise in batteries, battery controls, and power electronics.
The courses will be available through distance learning technologies such as online courses and, possibly, CISCO Telepresence, in addition to traditional in-person classrooms, making them available to people nationwide.
“There are thousands of engineers who have either been displaced as the U.S. auto industry shifted or who have an interest in learning about creating vehicles of the future,” Greg Plett, professor, UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science, said. “This program offers them the opportunity to retrain without relocating.”
Plett, the principal investigator on the project, has spent his career working with battery controls and has close relationships to many Colorado-based companies who manufacture batteries or their controls as well as large corporations such as General Motors. Plett is working with General Motors’ engineers on new methods for battery controls in future extended range electric vehicles, beyond the Chevy Volt.
The GATE Center of Excellence in Innovative Drivetrains in Electric Automotive Technology Education will provide students the opportunity to earn a graduate certificate in electric drivetrain technology by taking four courses in battery dynamics, battery controls, power electronics and detailed courses in adjustable alternating current drives. Plans also call for creating options for students in master’s of science in electrical engineering programs at UCCS and CU-Boulder to pursue specialization in fields such as battery controls, taught by UCCS faculty, and vehicle power electronics taught by CU-Boulder faculty members.
CU-Boulder faculty will build upon strengths of the Colorado Power Electronics Center research and education programs, including a highly successful Professional Certification in Power Electronics already offered online by the College of Engineering and Applied Science’s distance education program (http://cuengineeringonline.colorado.edu/)
“This program combines the strengths of the faculty of two CU campuses for the benefit of students,” Plett said.
Plett also believes the collaboration of faculty will lead to new research in battery technology. Battery life and power outputs have long been considered hindrances to the development of electric vehicles including cars, trucks and mass transit vehicles.
Plett envisions that fellowships to reduce the cost of the graduate coursework will be available with 30 to 40 students enrolled annually beginning with the fall 2012 semester.
Working with Plett will be Scott Trimboli, assistant professor, UCCS College of Engineering, and Regan Zane, associate professor, Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, CU-Boulder, and Dragan Maksimovic, professor, Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, CU-Boulder.
For more about Plett, visit http://mocha-java.uccs.edu/. For more information about the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science, visit http://www.eas.uccs.edu/ .For more information about the CU-Boulder Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, visit http://ecee.colorado.edu/.
Big bucks for zero waste
Oct 13th
Funding for zero waste programs available through Boulder County Resource Conservation
Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Resource Conservation Division has allocated $50,000 for its 2012 Community Outreach Program for local organizations looking to fund projects that focus on zero waste, reuse, recycling and composting.
Proposals must be received at the Resource Conservation office by Monday, Nov. 14. Project funding will commence in January.
A pre-proposal workshop will be held from 4-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the Boulder County Recycling Center, 1901 63rd St. in Boulder. Attendance is highly recommended for new applicants but not required. Questions about the program and the application process will be answered, and other details provided.
Please contact Jessica Johnson at 720-564-2226 or jljohnson@bouldercounty.org to obtain an application and r more information.
The minimum funding amount available for a project is $1,000 with a maximum of $10,000. Local governments, nonprofit organizations, school districts, schools, private companies and individuals may apply as long as the scope of work is in Boulder County or the City and County of Broomfield, and insurance requirements are met.
With the adoption of Boulder County’s Zero Waste resolution and the Zero Waste Action Plan, the commencement of the single-stream collection and processing program, and curbside composting collection, there are opportunities to support these programs with new Community Outreach Program initiatives.
In addition to the programs supported in prior years, an emphasis on single-stream collections and education and/or zero waste programs (establishing collection of single-stream recyclables, organic materials, etc.) for residents, businesses and governmental buildings is encouraged. However, applications for programs that fall outside of this limited focus will continue to be accepted and considered.
-BoulderCounty.org-