School for computer science in the United States
The
School of Computer Science
(
SCS
) at
Carnegie Mellon University
in
Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania, US is a school for
computer science
established in 1988. It has been consistently ranked among the best computer science programs over the decades. As of 2024
U.S. News & World Report
ranks the graduate program as tied for No. 1 with
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
,
Stanford University
and
University of California, Berkeley
.
[1]
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science have made fundamental contributions to the fields of
algorithms
,
artificial intelligence
,
computer networks
,
distributed systems
,
parallel processing
,
programming languages
,
computational biology
,
robotics
,
language technologies
,
human?computer interaction
and
software engineering
.
History
[
edit
]
In July 1965,
Allen Newell
,
Herbert A. Simon
, and
Alan J. Perlis
, in conjunction with the faculty from the Graduate School of Industrial Administration (GSIA, renamed
Tepper School of Business
in 2004), staff from the newly formed Computation Center, and key administrators created the Computer Science Department, one of the first such departments in the nation. Their mission statement was "to cultivate a course of study leading to the
PhD
degree in
computer science
, a program that would exploit the new technology and assist in establishing a discipline of
computer science
." The educational program, formally accepted in October 1965, drew its first graduate students from several existing academic disciplines: mathematics,
electrical engineering
,
psychology
, and the interdisciplinary Systems and Communications Sciences program in the
Graduate School of Industrial Administration
. The department was housed within the
Mellon College of Science
.
With support from Newell, Simon,
Nico Haberman
, Provost
Angel Jordan
and President
Richard Cyert
, the computer science department began a two-year status as a "floating" department in the early months of 1986. Then, the Department began to grow, both academically and financially. In 1988, the School of Computer Science was established, among the first such schools in the country. The Computer Science Department was the original department within the school.
[2]
Structure in the 1970s
[
edit
]
During the 1970s the Computer Science Department offered only a PhD study program, with no master's degree as an intermediate step. The PhD program required a minimum of six years of residency. It was called the "do or die" program among the graduate students, because a student could not drop a PhD and receive a master's degree. It had quickly focused on computer networking, operating systems (
Hydra
,
Accent
,
Mach
), and
robotics
.
SCS today
[
edit
]
Organizational units
[
edit
]
Student organizations
[
edit
]
Women@SCS
is an educational program at Carnegie Mellon whose mission is to create, encourage, and support women's academic, social and professional opportunities in the
computer sciences
and to promote the breadth of the field and its diverse community. Women@SCS has initiated programs, such as the Big/Little Sister program for undergraduates, the invited Speaker Series for graduates, as well as dinners and other social and academic events. Women@SCS also sponsors outreach projects such as "Is there a
robot
in your future?" workshop for middle school girls. In general, the committee strives to promote a healthy and supportive community atmosphere.
SCS4ALL
is an umbrella organization at Carnegie Mellon that promotes diversity in the School of Computer Science and coordinates outreach programs to broaden interest, understanding, and diversity in computing. SCS4ALL shares many of the core goals of Women@SCS and has expanded to develop more inclusive programs. Within SCS, the organization works to develop social and professional activities and leadership opportunities, such as the social trivia night, the "Develop Your Elevator Pitch" event, panel discussions with industry leaders, and the annual celebration of diversity SCS Day. In outreach, the organization organizes interactive presentations about computer science at local elementary, middle, and high schools. SCS4ALL is open to all students in the SCS and seeks to involve all communities in SCS in shaping the organization and its events.
Gates and Hillman Centers
[
edit
]
The Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies are home to much of the School of Computer Science. The $98 million complex was opened in 2009.
[3]
It has 217,000-square-foot (20,200 m
2
) of floor space, including about 310 offices, 11 conference rooms, 32 labs, 8,000 square feet (740 m
2
) of project space and the Planetary Robotics Center. It also houses 12 classrooms, including a 250-seat auditorium.
[4]
Additionally, the Gates Center connects to the Purnell Center, which houses the School of Drama, via the
Randy Pausch
Memorial Footbridge. The bridge represents Professor Pausch's own devotion to linking computer science and entertainment, as he was a co-founder of Carnegie Mellon's
Entertainment Technology Center
.
Mack Scogin Merril Elam
Architects of
Atlanta
, Georgia were the lead architects.
[3]
The Gates and Hillman Centers have received
LEED
Gold Certification.
[6]
Traditions
[
edit
]
- Carnegie Mellon's
Mobot Races
, now in their 14th year, are hosted by the School of Computer Science during every
Spring Carnival
celebration. The Mobots (short for
mobile robots
) follow a slalom course painted in the sidewalk outside of Wean Hall. The Mobot Races used to include a MoboJoust competition, but it has not been held since 2002
[7]
to avoid damaging the Mobots.
[8]
- SCS Day
is a yearly celebration of computer science that started in 2003. The event features a variety of activities, including exhibits, workshops and games, in addition to an evening talent show.
[9]
Smiley face
[
edit
]
SCS research professor
Scott Fahlman
is credited with the invention of the smiley face
emoticon
. He suggested the emoticon on an electronic board in 1982 as a way for board readers to know when an author was joking. The text of Fahlman's original post was lost for nearly 20 years but was later recovered from backup tapes:
[10]
19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman :-)
From: Scott E Fahlman <Fahlman at Cmu-20c>
I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers:
:-)
Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark
things that are NOT jokes - given current trends. For this, use
:-(
|
Tartan Racing
[
edit
]
Tartan Racing is a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon and
General Motors Corporation
that competes in the
DARPA Grand Challenge
. The Grand Challenge is a competition for
driverless cars
sponsored by
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA). Tartan Racing is led by Carnegie Mellon
roboticist
William L. "Red" Whittaker
.
[11]
In 2007, Tartan Racing won the
DARPA Urban Challenge
, in which 11 autonomous ground vehicles raced over urban roadways. In the challenge, team vehicles were required to obey all California driving laws, share the road with other drivers and robotic cars, and complete the course in under six hours. Tartan Racing won the $2 million cash prize with Boss, a reworked 2007
Chevy Tahoe
. Averaging about 14 miles (23 km) an hour for a 55-mile (89 km) trip, Boss beat the second-place team,
Stanford
Racing, by just under 20 minutes.
[12]
SCS honors and awards
[
edit
]
The School established a number of honors and awards.
[13]
- SCS Endowed Chairs
- Finmeccanica Chair
- A. Nico Habermann Chair in the School of Computer Science
- Litton Faculty Fellows
- Allen Newell Award for Research Excellence
- Herbert A. Simon Award for Teaching Excellence in Computer Science
- The Robert Doherty Prize for Excellence in Education
- Carnegie Mellon University Undergraduate Academic Advising Award
Faculty
[
edit
]
Faculty members from the School of Computer Science have received international recognition for achievements within their fields. These honors include memberships and fellowships in the
National Academy of Sciences
, the
National Academy of Engineering
, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science
, the
Association for Computing Machinery
, the
Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers
, the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
, the
MacArthur Fellowship Program
, and the
Guggenheim Fellowship Program
.
[14]
Notably, thirteen SCS faculty and alumni have won the
A. M. Turing Award
, the
Association for Computing Machinery
's most prestigious award,
[15]
often called the "Nobel Prize of computing." These include
Raj Reddy
,
Manuel Blum
and
Edmund M. Clarke
of the recent active faculty, in addition to Emeritus Faculty
Dana Scott
and former faculty
Geoffrey Hinton
.
[16]
Notable faculty
[
edit
]
- Randy Pausch
was a professor of
computer science
,
human-computer interaction
and design. Pausch was also a best-selling author, who became known around the world after he gave
"The Last Lecture" speech
on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon. Pausch was instrumental in the development of
Alice
, a computer teaching tool. He also co-founded Carnegie Mellon's
Entertainment Technology Center
. Randy Pausch died on July 25, 2008.
[17]
- Mary Shaw
is the
Alan J. Perlis
Professor of Computer Science in the Institute for Software Research at
Carnegie Mellon University
. Shaw published seminal work on software engineering, and has lately become well known for her work on computer science education. Shaw was awarded the
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
on November 21, 2014.
[18]
- Luis von Ahn
is a Consulting Professor in the Computer Science Department, where he also received his PhD in 2005. Von Ahn was named a
MacArthur Fellow
in 2006 (called the "genius" grant).
[19]
He also created Games With a Purpose, a website where users can play games to help train computers to solve complicated problems, in addition to
reCAPTCHA
and
Duolingo
.
- William L. "Red" Whittaker
is a roboticist and research professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon who led the Tartan Racing team to victory in the 2007
DARPA Grand Challenge
. He is also leading a team of Carnegie Mellon students to win the
Google Lunar X Prize
.
[20]
Whittaker is the Fredkin Professor of Robotics at the Robotics Institute and the director of the Robotics Institute's Field Robotics Center
[21]
since its creation in 1983. Whittaker earned his master's and doctoral degrees in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon in the late 1970s.
[22]
- Raj Reddy
is the University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics and Moza Bint Nasser Chair at the School of Computer Science at
Carnegie Mellon University
. His areas of interest include
artificial intelligence
and
human-computer interaction
. He received the ACM Turning award in 1994. He received the French
Legion of Honour
in 1984 and
Padma Bhushan
award in 2001. He was also awarded the Honda Prize in 2005, and the
Vannevar Bush Award
in 2006.
[23]
Reddy was the founding directory of the
Robotics Institute
[24]
and the Dean of School of Computer Science. He was one of the founders of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence
[25]
and was its President from 1987 to 1989.
[26]
- Takeo Kanade
is a U.A. and Helen Whitaker University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics. He is the director of the Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center at Carnegie Mellon. His main areas of interest include
computer vision
,
multi-media
, manipulators,
autonomous mobile robots
, and
sensors
.
[27]
- Hans Moravec
is a research professor at the Robotics Institute with interests in
mobile robots
and
artificial intelligence
. He worked in the RI's Mobile Robot Lab, a research space designed to produce robots able to move through intricate indoor and outdoor areas.
[28]
He also helped develop
Moravec's paradox
in the 1980s, which states that it is more difficult for computers to learn basic human instincts than human reason.
- Manuela M. Veloso
is the Herbert A. Simon Professor at the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. She is the President of the International RoboCup Federation that she co-founded and the President Elect of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. She is a fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of IEEE. Her research focus on the scientific and engineering challenges of creating teams of intelligent agents in complex, dynamic, and uncertain environments, in particular adversarial environments, such as robot soccer, that Cooperate, Observe the world, Reason, Act, and Learn. She currently researches and develops effective indoor mobile service robots aiming at contributing to a multi-robot, multi-human symbiotic relationship, in which robots and humans coordinate and cooperate as a function of their limitations and strengths.
- Manuel Blum
is the Bruce Nelson Professor of Computer Science and a
Turing Award
winner. His wife
Lenore Blum
and son
Avrim Blum
are also professors in the School of Computer Science.
- Lorrie Cranor
is the FORE Systems Professor in the Institute for Software Research and served as the Chief Technologist at the
Federal Trade Commission
.
- Kathleen Carley
is a computational social scientist and a professor at the Institute for Software Research.
- David Garlan
is a professor at the Institute for Software Research.
- Randal Bryant
is a Founders University Professor of Computer Science Emeritus and former Dean of the School of Computer Science.
- Daniel Siewiorek
is the Buhl University Professor Emeritus at CMU.
- Michael Ian Shamos
is a Distinguished Career Professor in the Institute for Systems Research and Language Technologies Institute.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Fenton, Edwin (2000).
Carnegie Mellon 1900?2000: A Centennial History
. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University Press.
ISBN
0-88748-323-2
.
External links
[
edit
]
40°26′37″N
79°56′40″W
/
40.44371°N 79.94443°W
/
40.44371; -79.94443