Communications - February 2009

ACM
Member
News

DOI:10.1145/1461928.1461932
David Roman

the Dot-org Difference

One of the first things you’ll notice about the new Communications Web site ( cacm.acm.org) is that it has different content than the monthly magazine. A distinctive example is the blogs. The site hosts two kinds. Syndicated blogs, about a dozen of them, provide an array of insight, opinion, and information from innovative technology movers and thinkers.

All were recommended by ACM members and most are written by ACM members. They reflect the international scope of the computing world.

In addition, the new Communications site is proud to present its own expert blog manned by a Who’s Who of leading computer science researchers and practitioners. These include MIT’s Scott Aar-onson, Georgia Tech’s

Mark Guzdial, ACM Fellow

James J. “Jim” Horning,

IBM Research’s Tessa Lau, Google’s Peter Norvig, Microsoft Research’s Daniel A. Reed, MIT’s Michael Stonebraker, CMU’s Jeannette M. Wing, and other illustrious names. Their collective observations and insights are sure to spark great interest and debate.

oBama uRGeD to InCLuDe ComPuteR sCIenCe

In K– 12 math anD sCIenCe eDuCatIon

acM has issued a set of
recommendations to the obama
administration, supporting its
goal of making mathematics and
science education a national
priority at the K– 12 level and
urging it to include computer
science as an integral part
of the nation’s education
system. “computing education
benefits all students, not just
those interested in pursuing
computer science or information
technology careers,” notes
bobby Schnabel, chair

of acM’s education
Policy committee.
“to meet the nation’s
educational and
professional needs in
the face of insufficient numbers
of undergraduates majoring in
computer science, we need to
work harder to increase interest
at the K– 12 level, and to expand
the pipeline supplying the
necessary work force for an
information-based economy.”
among acM’s recommendations
are to consider “computer science
as one of the core courses
students need to develop critical
21st century skills as part of any
SteM education initiative,”
strengthen efforts to introduce
students to computer science in
middle school as middle school
curriculum is very influential in
determining children’s future
interests, and “expand efforts
to increase the number of
females and underrepresented
minorities” in SteM education.

The expert and syndicat-

ed blogs do several things for Communications’ online readers: they provide valuable content; generate discussion; and encourage communication.

sIGCse a WaRD WInneRs at SigcSe 2009, eugene Spafford, executive director of ceRiaS at Purdue University, received the 2009 abacus award from Upsilon Pi epsilon for his sustained commitment to students in computing. also, Michael J. clancy, a senior lecturer at the University of california at berkeley, won the Lifetime Service to computer Science education community award and elliot b. Koffman, a professor of computer and information sciences at temple University, won the outstanding contribution to computer Science award.