Why Computer Science? Specializations & Degrees Zachary Ives Associate Professor, Computer & Information Science Dept. and Undergrad Curriculum Chair – Market & Social Systems.
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Transcript Why Computer Science? Specializations & Degrees Zachary Ives Associate Professor, Computer & Information Science Dept. and Undergrad Curriculum Chair – Market & Social Systems.
Why Computer Science?
Specializations & Degrees
Zachary Ives
Associate Professor, Computer & Information Science Dept.
and Undergrad Curriculum Chair – Market & Social Systems Engineering
University of Pennsylvania
Teacher & Guidance Counselor Day
November 7, 2015
“Why Computer Science”?
Some Highlights of the Field
What makes a lifelong career rewarding?
Is it likely to help people (or society)?
Gives freedom, creative input, and the ability to do
something new?
Does it yield new ideas and knowledge?
Does it pay reasonably?
Computer science is one of the few areas that hits
on all of these in a multitude of specializations –
even with a Bachelor’s degree!
Computers are an enabler of the mind!!
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Contributing to Everyday Life & Society
Computers have changed
the way we communicate
… and learn
… and do science
and art
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Freedom and Creativity: Some
Well-Known Stories
CS has always been about empowerment of those
with ideas who can build and design in teams!
“20% time”
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Creation of New Ideas and Knowledge:
Some Recent Examples
The Internet has led to a recent boom in:
Social networking
The study of incentives
New business models
“Core” CS is underneath a lot of that…
… And new techniques for data centric computing
As well as new CS applications
… Like automatic gene sequencing,
physics-based animation, …
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Different Degrees & Specializations
CS is a great enabler – of new technologies within
the field, and of art and the sciences
Recognizing this, Penn (and many other institutions)
have a variety of programs
Computer Science
Computer Engineering
Digital Media Design
Computational Biology
Computer & Cognitive Science
Market & Social Systems Engineering
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Computer Science: “The Core”
What is computation and what are its properties?
Mathematics, complexity
How do we create solutions?
Programming, algorithms, software engineering
How does it map onto a machine –
or today, set of 100s of machines?
Hardware, networks
Example questions:
How does Google work?
How can a computer plan a course of action to solve a problem?
Future careers: Software development, entrepreneurship, analysis and
consulting, academia
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Computer Engineering:
Computing Meets Devices
Today a computer isn’t just a PC
… It’s your car, your cell phone or iPod
… It’s a pacemaker, a blood glucose
monitor, a TV, a Roomba, a self-driving car
Software interacts with the environment
(and often a wireless network)!
Computer engineering focuses on the connections between
hardware and software
From circuits to programming, devices to PCs and servers
Example question:
How does an iPod work?
Future careers: Medical devices, cell phone software, …
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Digital Media Design
Computers have changed the way we do art and film,
and it has spawned a huge industry in games
DMD combines 3 skill sets:
Art
Software development
And knowledge of creative tools
Example question:
How can I digitally model
a human using math & physics?
Future careers: game design,
special effects, …
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Computational Biology
Understanding living systems – formerly a “wet lab”
science – is now an information science
DNA sequencing, information about protein coding, …
How do we combine computational
techniques and a knowledge of biology
to make new discoveries?
Example question:
Given a gene in a human, how do we find
what’s known about analogous genes in mice?
Future careers:
Biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals
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Computer and Cognitive Science
How does the human brain work?
How does it learn?
neuroscience, linguistics, education, …
Can one model and emulate this using
machines?
artificial intelligence, natural language processing, …
Example questions:
How can we build statistical models of different languages,
and use them to translate from English any language
Future careers:
Research in the sciences, educational methods, academia
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Market & Social Systems
Engineering (MKSE)
The Internet has changed communication,
entertainment, media, and commerce
At its core: ways of letting people and machines interact,
over networks, to exchange ideas, conduct transactions, …
But how do we build systems and incentives that encourage
people to be honest and forthright in their dealings?
Play by the rules, pay fair prices, avoid spamming, …
And how do we use the structure of the network to understand
things about the people / players?
Example questions: How do we estimate a person’s influence, if
we know their “friends” in a social net?
Future careers: Internet software, finance, academia
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Summary
CS is a great enabler – of technology as well as art and
science
Penn has degrees focusing more towards:
Technology and engineering:
Computer science
Computer engineering
Arts and entertainment: Digital media design
Life science: Computational biology
The mind and education: Computer & cognitive science
Social interactions and economics: Market & social systems
engineering
Many rewarding careers along these directions!
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