The case for gathering and nurturing a diverse academic community is clear.  Preparing computer scientists to create solutions for the whole world requires a community of computer scientists that reflects the whole world.  Virginia Tech’s “Principles of Community” states it well:  “we affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the University,” and we seek “… to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members.”  Besides being the right thing to do, time and time again I have seen the benefits of improved access and inclusion for everyone.  When we bring together people from different cultures, backgrounds, viewpoints, and ways of thinking, we get better results – better teaching and learning, better creating, better problem solving.  And it’s just more fun to come to work when you are part of such a team.

The Department of Computer Science is committed to diversity and inclusion.  Particularly in the last eight years under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Ryder, this commitment has increasingly become part of our department’s culture.  In many ways, we are just getting started, and I intend to build on this commitment and momentum during my term as department head.  Please let us know if you have suggestions for ways to improve diversity in our department and our field, or to see how you can help.  And check out the newly revamped section of our website on diversity, and news of the newly established Barbara Ryder Fund for Diversity in Computer Science.

Read More

Summer is a time of transition at a university.  While we try to catch our breath after the conclusion of a busy and productive academic year, we also turn to planning for the year(s) ahead, and prepare to welcome new faculty, staff, and students to our campuses in Blacksburg and Northern Virginia.  Exciting stuff!

But sometimes summer means bidding farewell to friends and colleagues, which is not as much fun.  This summer by far the most notable farewell goes to Dr. Barbara Ryder.  As most of you know, Barbara stepped down in 2015 after seven years as Department Head; she will soon be retiring and moving on to other adventures in Florida.  To say that Barbara made an impact on CS@VT is a huge understatement.  Numbers tell part of the story—under Barbara’s leadership 12 tenure track faculty members were hired, including five women; department research expenditures nearly tripled, to over $15M/year; undergraduate enrollment more than doubled, with the percentage of women in the undergraduate program rising from about 4% to over 16%; our graduate program’s USN&WR ranking rose from 47^th to 40^th; and the average number of PhDs awarded annually nearly doubled.  But beyond all the improving numbers, Barbara’s impact will long be seen in the confidence and aspirations of the entire department.  She challenged and encouraged us to be better—better at serving and preparing our students, better at pushing the boundaries of CS research, better at providing leadership in the university and the world-wide CS community.  Thank you and bon voyage, Professor Ryder!

p.s. Look for an announcement very soon of a newly created “Barbara Ryder Fund for Diversity in Computer Science”!

Read More