COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS The News Journal of the Computing Research Association

September 1993 Vol. 5/No. 4

Nico Habermann was a House passes NII Act BY Juan Antonio Osuna expected to reach gigabit speeds in the “visionary leader in HPCC” CRA Staff next few years. The House passed the National Representatives from the regional A. Nico Habermann, an internationally renowned computer scientist, died of Information Infrastructure Act of 1993 telephone companies and the research an apparent heart attack Aug. 8 at his Pittsburgh home. He was 62. on July 26 with a sweeping 326 to 61 and education communities, including Habermann served as assistant director of the National Science vote. CRA, deliberated over language Foundation’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate. Introduced by Rep. Rick Boucher limiting use of this testbed, the only He commuted regularly from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. (D-VA), bill HR 1757 expands the portion of the Internet that is federally “We are shocked and saddened by the sudden death of our colleague and High-Performance Computing and subsidized. The telephone companies friend,” said NSF acting director Frederick Bernthal. “He was a visionary Communications Act of 1991 to bring expressed fear that federal support leader in high-performance computing, networking and information infrastruc- libraries, local governments, schools and could dilute their pool of potential ture. He will be missed; but his legacy of excellence and leadership at NSF will health care providers onto national customers. Research and education continue.” computer networks. groups argued that federal support Habermann came to NSF from Carnegie Mellon University, where he had Representatives who oppose the would do the opposite by encouraging served as dean of the School of Computer Science. He had taught at CMU bill said telephone, cable and electric high-tech markets. since 1969, became head of its Computer Science Department in 1979 and companies already are building net- In the end, the two groups founded the School of Computer Science in 1988. He had planned to return works, making government involve- hammered out and agreed to the to CMU after serving at NSF. ment unnecessary. All but one of the 61 following language: Habermann is known for his work in programming languages, operating members who opposed the bill were “The federal testbed networks shall systems and software engineering. He helped implement languages such as Republicans. not be used to provide network services Algol 60, Bliss, Pascal and Ada. Backers of the bill said the federal that are not related to [the mission of At NSF, he led many CISE programs: Computer and Computation government plays a crucial role in the testbed] and that could not Research; Information Robotics and Intelligent Systems; Advanced Scientific spurring commercial R&D and in otherwise be provided satisfactorily Computing; Microelectronic Information Processing Systems; Networking and bringing network connectivity to public using commercially available network institutions such as libraries, schools services. Determination of satisfactory Continued on Page 11 and local governments. The bill also availability shall include consideration authorizes subsidies for network users, of geographic access to and affordability not network providers. of service, and timeliness and technical Inside CRN This tension between public and performance standards in providing private sectors surfaced most dramati- services.” PAGES 8-10: Policy News PAGE 2: Opinions and Letters cally during markups in June before the Harsher restrictions proposed by PAGES 3-5: Expanding the Pipeline PAGES 11-13: Washington Update Science, Space and Technology the telephone companies were added to Subcommittee on Science. Debate the Senate version of the bill (S 4) PAGE 6: Association News PAGES 14-15: Professional during a May 25 markup. “Language Opportunities surrounded the bill’s provisions to limit PAGE 7: Conference News the use of the National Research and has been added to this section to clarify PAGE 16: People in the News Education Network—a testbed network Continued on Page 9 What role will CS research community PAID Non-Profit US Postage Organization Permit No. 3778 Washington, DC

play in shaping federal science policy? Time-Sensitive Material

BY Edward D. Lazowska role in the future social and economic nity played a significant role. In 1991 The Federated Computing Research vitality of the nation are becoming CRA appeared before the House Conference (FCRC ’93) in May widely recognized in policy circles. After Science, Space and Technology featured a lively two-hour “town years of being on the outside looking in, Subcommittee on Science to testify on meeting” devoted to federal science the community suddenly finds itself at that year’s High-Performance Comput- policy and the role of the computing the center of the national science policy ing and Communications Act. This year research community in shaping that debate, with enormous possibilities and the same subcommittee actively policy. enormous responsibilities. solicited CRA’s advice during the drafting of the National Information Science policy is changing. The Hub of activity implicit contract between the federal Infrastructure Act of 1993 (formerly government and university researchers, CRA is at the hub of this activity. known as the High-Performance in which most “interesting” research The association has metamorphosed Computing and High-Speed Network- was supported in return for contribu- several times over its lifetime, most ing Applications Act of 1993), invited tions to health care and defense, existed recently in the late 1980s when the the association to testify on the bill (See for nearly 50 years but now is null and Board of Directors, anticipating these Page 8) and involved us in some key void. The contract was the victim of the critical policy shifts, created a profes- post-testimony negotiations concerning end of the Cold War, the growth of the sionally staffed office in Washington, the fate of the National Research and federal deficit and the widespread DC. Following policy issues is a major Education Network (NREN). CRA perception that research requires activity for Fred W. Weingarten, CRA’s forged a number of important alli- oversight to control costs and increase executive director, who is assisted by ances—with the Computer Systems relevance. The new contract is still Juan Antonio Osuna and advised by the Policy Project (an influential group of being written, but it is likely to focus on board, and particularly the Government the CEOs of the 13 largest computer issues such as economic vitality, Affairs Committee. CRA, with a manufacturers), the American Library improvements in the quality of life and current membership of about 175 Association (playing a major role in the the sustainability of the nation. industrial computing research laborato- NREN debate) and others. ries and academic departments of This is not so bad for the comput- Community involvement ing research community. Computing is a computer science and computer key technology for those providing engineering, represents and informs the At the town meeting, I emphasized services, governing the nation or computing research community. the importance of local and national practicing science and engineering. The In the past few years there have involvement by the computing research accomplishments of the computing been several science policy debates in community. Contacting your elected research community and our central which the computing research commu- Continued on Page 5 CRA NW Ave. 1875 Connecticut Suite 718 DC 20009 Washington, COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS September 1993

Opinions and Letters

Computing Research Association “Just-in-time” graduate education Board Officers BY Daniel W. are actually using it as a “professional” niques in digital systems and high- David A. Patterson Lewis degree. performance computer architecture. Chair If it takes as long as five years to Although many continuing University of California, Berkeley Computing has been described as complete a part-time master’s degree, education programs already offer Maria Klawe one of the most how well does such a program satisfy certificate programs, programs suggested Vice Chair University of British Columbia rapidly evolving industrial needs when new technologies here would use graduate courses fields of our time, are emerging every two years? And how earning academic credit toward a Gregory R. Andrews can we improve our part-time master’s master’s degree. Secretary with technology University of Arizona cycles as short as programs to provide more relevant Such a part-time master’s program 2.5 years. Just consider some of the professional education in the face of offers several advantages over a more Michael R. Garey such rapid change? Treasurer many technologies that have been traditional program. By concentrating AT&T Bell Laboratories introduced or have become popular in These questions are particularly on a focused sequence of course work, the last 10 years: graphical user poignant in high-technology centers each certificate program provides a Board Members interfaces, reduced instruction set such as Silicon Valley, where many faster return on investment for both W. Richards Adrion computing architectures, functional employees are enrolled in part-time students and their employers. University of Massachusetts, Amherst programming, expert systems, neural master’s programs. The Software Like the “exhibitions” proposed by Ruzena Bajcsy networks, distributed systems and Industry Coalition of the Joint Venture Peter Denning [3] at significant University of Pennsylvania object-oriented everything. Silicon Valley initiative hopes to find an milestones in his model of education, a Barry Boehm The introduction of a new answer by hosting a Symposium on certificate-based master’s degree would University of Southern California computing technology about once every University–Industry Cooperation to improve student motivation because of Ashok K. Chandra two years has had a pronounced effect “encourage interaction between a clearer relationship between course IBM Almaden Research Center on industrial hiring trends. It exacer- companies and universities, to under- work and short-term goals. Because Fernando Corbató bates a company’s need for short-term stand education needs of the industry, individual faculty members most likely MIT competitive advantage. It also encour- identify potential areas for collaborative will identify closely with one or two Dorothy E. Denning ages hiring people experienced in the research in software engineering, and specializations, they will be more likely Georgetown University new technology, rather than spending share information on new areas of to take an active role in the correspond- Peter Freeman up to 18 months training someone. technical development.” ing certificate curriculum. Georgia Institute of Technology As a result, employers increasingly Linda Pierce put it best in Comput- Santa Clara University is offering a C. William Gear are asking for people with experience. ing Professionals [2] when she said, “We new certificate program, “Advanced NEC Research Institute Inc. And in some cases, they hire in a new don’t know how to do this, but our Studies in Software Engineering,” that Juris Hartmanis technology area while simultaneously objective is to have just-in-time skills.” I earns graduate academic credit. We Cornell University laying off employees trained in older interpret this to mean that part-time have met with several Silicon Valley Patrick Hayes technologies. students should be able to develop companies to tell them about this Stanford University Traditional continuing education competency in a new specialization program, and the reaction has been Mary Jane Irwin programs have not satisfied the need for within one year. overwhelmingly positive. Pennsylvania State University training. As Computing the Future [1] Although this can be accomplished We anticipate a similar demand for Lennart Johnsson points out: “Many universities and within the electives of a part-time certificates in other specializations, Thinking Machines Corp. CS&E departments ignore continuing master’s program, students often take perhaps ultimately leading to future use Duncan Lawrie education…partly because of a value electives and core requirements mingled of a certificate-based professional Univ. of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign system that places such education at the together, thus developing the specializa- master’s program as outlined above. Edward D. Lazowska bottom of the list of valued activities.” tion over a much longer period of time. References University of Washington There is reason to believe that Consider instead a professional Nancy G. Leveson students and companies often share this master of computing degree based on [1] Juris Hartmanis and Herbert Lin, eds., University of California, Irvine sequential completion of three gradu- Computing the Future: A Broader Agenda for value judgment, probably because of the Computer Science and Engineering, Washing- Steven S. Muchnick variable quality of instruction, casual ate-level certificates. Each certificate ton, DC: National Academy Press, 1992. Sun Microsystems Inc. admission criteria that do not guarantee would consist of 10 semester or 15 [2] National Research Council, Computing John R. Rice quarter units of course work that the necessary background and a typical Professionals: Changing Needs for the 1990s: Purdue University lack of assessment. correspond to a structured concentra- A workshop report, Washington, DC: Robert W. Ritchie Some employers effectively tion in a particular subject and include National Academy Press, 1993. Hewlett-Packard Co. a capstone project as a demonstration of discourage continuing education with [3] Peter J. Denning, “Educating a New John E. Savage an education policy that provides competence. Engineer,” CACM, vol. 35, no. 12 Brown University reimbursement only for course work Certificates could be introduced, (December 1992), pp. 83-97. Mary K. Vernon that leads to a degree. Employees in revised or discontinued as needed to University of Wisconsin, Madison these companies ultimately enroll in match technology trends. One can Daniel W. Lewis is an associate professor Anthony I. Wasserman part-time master’s programs to get easily imagine certificates relevant today and chair of the Computer Engineering Interactive Development Environments advanced technical training. in object-oriented systems and software Department at Santa Clara University. Mark Weiser Even though a university may have engineering, distributed systems and Tel. 408-554-4449; fax: 408-554-5474; Xerox Palo Alto Research Center intended its master’s to be a traditional parallel processing, artificial intelligence E-mail: [email protected]. John Werth scientific degree, many of these students and expert systems, advanced tech- University of Texas, Austin David S. Wise Letters to the Editor Indiana University neither the time nor money, or perhaps levels of rhetoric would discourage Executive Director It is too soon to make they felt uneasy at the prospect of being participation by many of those who Fred W. Weingarten systers an open forum in such a minority. The workshop was currently are active on systers. There Editor: open to those willing to make the effort. are many places on Usenet where the CRN welcomes letters from In his article, “How Can Men Help The problem with making systers status of women can be discussed in an its readers. Letters may be Expand the CS Pipeline?” (May CRN, an open forum is that it is too easy for open forum; none of these can function edited for space and clarity. Page 3), Michael Fischer argued that like systers and related lists. Send them to Joan Bass, the women-only mailing list, systers, less-committed men to be involved I, too, look forward to being able to Managing Editor, CRN, 1875 should be an open forum. Such an electronically. It takes very little time or observe on systers and perhaps even Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite action would be premature. I was one of money to send E-mail, and the social participate. But I am willing to wait 718, Washington, DC 20009. a handful of men who registered for the constraints of a meeting hall are absent. E-mail: [email protected]. CRA Workshop on Academic Careers Such a forum would attract men who until I am invited. Letters must include your for Women held in May. Men were not simply are looking for a good argument, Prabhakar Ragde name, address and telephone excluded from this workshop, but many or worse, men actively opposed to equal Associate professor of computer science number or E-mail address. probably felt attending it was worth opportunity for women. The resulting University of Waterloo

Page 2 September 1993 COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS

Expanding the Pipeline Mentoring project targets female undergrads BY Joseph O’Rourke them in research at a university with a to volunteer to be secretary for a group. and Engineering (CISE) Directorate The participation of women in com- female mentor and thereby inspiring More serious advice on balancing has awarded $240,000 to support the puter science and computer engineering them to apply to graduate school. The professional roles and family and on project for two years. This funding will (CS&E) declines throughout the length mechanism matches female under- travel, conferences and so on may be be enough to support 20 student/ of the academic pipeline. This occurs graduates with female university useful and unique to female mentoring. mentor matches in the summers of from high school through graduate professors for a summer of research. If women are most effectively 1994 and 1995. The support is similar school and through the professorial Almost no one questions the mentored by women, then the paucity to the ongoing NSF program to ranks. Although roughly equal numbers importance of mentoring for initiating a of women at the high end of the supplement existing grants with funds of young women and men take com- scientific career. Whether same-gender pipeline (the CRA Taulbee Survey for Research Experiences for Under- puter science courses in high school, mentoring is more effective than cross- located only 53 female full professors in graduates, of which 80% went to male women receive about 31% of the gender mentoring is more controversial. 173 CS&E departments in January students in 1990 [NSF91]. Our bachelor’s and 28% of the master’s A recent study concluded that “there 1993 [S93]) could be constricting the program focuses specifically on women degrees and about 11% of the doctor- appears to be no strong evidence, other pipeline at earlier stages and locking the and the mentoring relationship and ates in computer science and computer than anecdotal accounts of individual proportions into a stable mixture. allows people without existing NSF engineering. At the assistant professor cases, that the presence of female role Indeed the CRA Taulbee Survey has grants to participate. Our program is level the 1991-92 CRA Taulbee Survey models has a significant influence on recorded roughly the same percentage distributed in nature—most students showed a small increase in the number career choices” [YS92]. Yet the of female Ph.D. recipients in CS for 14 will leave their home institution for the of women, up to 13% from 10% in the anecdotal evidence is compelling and consecutive years. research. previous survey [GM91]. The other accords with intuition. With the assistance of an advisory We seek to attract students from numbers were not so encouraging. The Certainly a male professor cannot committee of 12 researchers from the full spectrum of colleges and serve as an effective role model on the academia and industry, I prepared and decline in the number of women universities, because students at smaller social aspects of the research life. One submitted a mentoring proposal to the continues in other places in the schools often have no local female role female faculty member cautions her National Science Foundation to fund pipeline. The survey showed that the model. With so few women receiving female graduate students never to be this project on behalf of CRA. NSF’s percentage of female CS&E associate Ph.D.s in CS&E (126 in 1992 [S93]), the first in a group to make cookies or Computer and Information Sciences and full professors to be just 8% and 4% even the limited success of our project in 1992.1 Figure 1: The percentage of could have a significant impact. The CRA Committee on the women and men in CS&E at We will solicit applications from Status of Women developed the various stages in the pipeline students and from mentors this fall. Distributed Mentor Project2 to address in 1989-92. The deadline for applying is Feb. 1, one of the stages in the pipeline with greatest decline in female participation. The data up to master’s degrees is 1994. Students will be requested to taken from the National Science The goal of the project is to include a transcript, have letters of Foundation’s January 1992 report, recommendation sent and discuss their increase the number of women entering Women and Minorities in Science and graduate school in computer science Engineering: an Update. The interests and special skills. Letters will and computer engineering by involving remaining data is from the 1991-92 be optional, because some talented CRA Taulbee Survey. The two women will not yet have made 1The 1989-90 CRA Taulbee survey [GM90] databases are not entirely compatible. connections with professors who would reported 9% CS&E female assistant professors. The NSF data is for 1989, whereas provide such detailed recommenda- The latest data for CS without CE is 12%, 14%, the CRA Taulbee data is from 1991- tions. 9% and 5%, for Ph.D.s and assistant, associate 92. NSF includes information and full professors respectively [S93]. This is sciences departments, and the CRA Mentors will send a curriculum about 1% higher than with CE included. survey includes Canadian universi- vitae, a description of their proposed 2 The original idea for the project is from Nancy ties. At their point of overlap, the research projects and any special skills Leveson and Maria Klawe, in a December 1991 NSF data shows the Ph.D. percent- NSF proposal from the CRA Committee on the required of their students. Both Status of Women in Computer Science (CDA age at 17%, which is shown as dashes 9103163). in the figure. Continued on Page 5

Attention CRA Members Mailing labels of our membership and the CRA Forsythe List are available free to Why systers excludes men CRA members. The labels are available in electronic form or on Cheshire or laser BY Anita Borg science. Second, men work almost labels. The labels are $25 per set for non-members. Contact Phil Louis at tel. 202- The existence of exclusively female exclusively with men and have limited 234-2111; fax: 202-667-1066; or E-mail: [email protected]. forums is controversial, and legitimately opportunities to communicate with so. Exclusive forums, such as male-only more than a few professional women. or white-only or Christian-only clubs, Open electronic forums can COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS have been used to exclude other groups improve communication by introducing Vol. 5/No. 4/September 1993 from information and power sharing. As women to a larger community but do nothing to reduce the disparity in Computing Research News (ISSN 1069-384X) is published five times per year: in January, the founder of systers, a large female- March, May, September and November. Copyright 1993, all rights reserved, by the Computing only mailing list, I frequently have been numbers. On the other hand, exclu- Research Association (CRA), 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 718, Washington, DC 20009. called upon to justify the exclusion of sively female forums, such as systers, are Tel. 202-234-2111; fax: 202-667-1066; E-mail: [email protected]. Material in CRN is not men and to explain why systers is not a particularly effective way to connect endorsed by CRA nor intended to reflect any official positions of CRA or its board. discriminatory in the above sense. I women in our field with each other. Change of Address: Please allow four weeks for an address change to become effective. hope this article generates discussion, These forums also ultimately contribute Change of address notice should include old and new addresses with ZIP codes (please use but more important, that it generates to improved communication between ZIP+4 if available). understanding and cooperation. women and men. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to CRA, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 718, Washington, Increasing the number of women Let me first describe what systers is DC 20009. Postage paid at Washington, DC. in computer science and making the and what it is not. Systers is a private, environments in which women work unmoderated but strongly guided Computing Research News Staff: more conducive to their continued mailing list with a documented set of Fred W. Weingarten, Editorial Director participation in the field requires the rules for participation. The membership Joan Bass, Managing Editor active involvement of both women and of the list includes female computer Kimberly P. Peaks, Assistant Editor men. In particular, there must be professionals in the commercial, Computing Research News Editorial Board: ongoing and productive communication academic and government worlds, as John E. Savage, Board Chair, Brown University throughout the field concerning the well as female graduate and under- Laszlo A. Belady, Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories Inc. unique problems that women face when graduate computer science and Ashok K. Chandra, IBM Almaden Research Center they enter the field and advance. The computer engineering students. Systers Dorothy E. Denning, Georgetown University fact that women are a small minority in has more than 1,500 members in 17 Jim Foley, Georgia Institute of Technology the field results in two impediments to countries. The members form a global John Gannon, University of Maryland this communication. community of individuals who other- Leah Jamieson, Purdue University First, women work almost exclu- wise are physically isolated from each James Varah, University of British Columbia sively with men and have few opportu- other. Systers is a civilized and coopera- Helen Wood, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nities to create and participate in a community of women in computer Continued on Page 5

Page 3 COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS September 1993

Expanding the Pipeline CRA presents Windows of Women face many pitfalls Opportunity Symposium The following are excerpts from C. Dianne Martin’s introductory remarks “Para- digms, Pitfalls, Power” made at the CRA Windows of Opportunity Symposium for BY C. Dianne Martin The undergraduate students attended a Female Students in Computing. CRA presented the Windows of session that featured graduate students This is an especially exciting moment for me to stand before this sea of Opportunity Symposium for Female giving presentations on their research. actual, smiling faces. Up to this point, most of you have existed for me as Students in Computing in Washington, The graduate students attended a panel virtual voices in cyberspace. During this opening session you will hear Rick session, chaired by Andrea Lawrence of DC, on May 22-23. The symposium Weingarten of the Computing Research Association and Nico Habermann of Spelman College, that described the enabled 208 female students in the National Science Foundation give you their views about the importance of process of choosing research topics and computing from over 100 universities this symposium from a national perspective. However, I would like to take the and colleges around the country to completing a Ph.D. degree. Other sessions covered mentoring, career path prerogative of the chair to briefly share my vision for this Windows of Oppor- come to Washington to learn about tunity Symposium from a personal perspective. I would like to talk about career, research and funding opportuni- management, the systers electronic paradigms, pitfalls and power. ties for female students and to network network, professional societies and We all know a paradigm is a way of looking at things—a world view that with other female students and leaders posters of student research. frames our perception of reality. If I were to go onto the street right now and in the field. Participants were selected from ask 20 passers-by to describe a university computer science student, they The purpose of the symposium was nominations made by department probably would use these images: male, mid-20s, nerd, obsessively focused on to support the National Science chairs and deans. Attendees came from computers, maybe a hacker. If I were to go to any university and ask 20 Foundation’s goal of increasing the computer science, electrical engineer- computer science professors to describe a university computer science student, number of female graduate students in ing, computer engineering, information they would probably use these images: male, mid-20s, nerd, obsessively the computing fields to 45% by the year science and library science departments. focused on computers, maybe a hacker. That is a paradigm about computer 2000. The symposium was supported by Each attendee is expected to give a science that is gender-biased, age-biased and behavior-biased. an NSF grant and hosted by the George presentation at their home institution Now a word about pitfalls. The first pitfall I want to mention is the pitfall Washington University. about the opportunities for females in of the “chilly classroom” described by Sheila Widnall. This is the typical Several outstanding female computing. A videotape of the sympo- university math, science or computer science class that is taught in a lecture- researchers were featured speakers: sium is being produced and will be style, highly competitive, mostly male environment where women often feel Barbara Liskov of the Massachusetts distributed to all attendees. isolated, afraid to ask questions and even dumb. In such an environment, Institute of Technology, Dianne O’Leary Attendees were overwhelmingly women lack role models and a support group. of the University of Maryland, Laurie positive about the symposium. Many The second pitfall is one that I call the pitfall of “the typical student.” I Hodges of the Georgia Institute of described it as a life-changing experi- have been teaching computer science for 18 years, and I cannot tell you how Technology, Elsa Gunter of AT&T Bell ence, and most said they were encour- many women I have advised who have started the conversation with the Laboratories, Barbara Simons of the aged and inspired to continue in studies apologetic phrase, “I’m not your typical student.…” With such a self-view, it is IBM Almaden Research Center and and careers in computing. All attendees no wonder women often feel intimidated and lack the confidence to pursue Anita Borg of Digital Equipment were in favor of holding similar advanced degrees in computer science. Corp.’s Network Systems Laboratory. symposia in the future. There are many other pitfalls, such as gender harassment, personal safety The researchers described their C. Dianne Martin was the symposium issues and childrearing responsibilities. But that is not what this symposium is academic and career paths and chair and is a professor of computer science about. This symposium is about power —the power that comes from realizing discussed their current research. in the Electrical Engineering and Computer you are part of a critical mass that will enable you to smash paradigms and Half the attendees were under- Science Department at George Washington successfully negotiate around pitfalls. graduates, half were graduate students. University. Continued on Page 5 Tips on how to get funding BY Joan M. Bass proposals early so they can take time to COMPUTING RESEARCH NEWS CRA Staff focus their ideas. They also should read At many universities, success in getting successful proposals, be thoroughly research funding is crucial for teachers familiar with the request for proposal Subscription Order Form and “follow it to the letter,” and submit seeking tenure. But people new to the Please check one: process can take several steps to give the proposal on time, Eggers said. “You are new at this and you’ll do it themselves the best chance possible at ❒ I want to subscribe to CRN. I qualify for a free subscription. succeeding. badly the first few times,” Eggers said. Researchers should submit several “But you’ll show it to others and get ❒ I want a year’s subscription to CRN. I do not qualify proposals to “cover all bets,” because feedback” and get better over time. not all funding sources finance every- A proposal should have one for a free subscription. My check, made payable to the Computing thing that is needed for a research objective and state clearly why your Research Association, is enclosed. Subscriptions are $25. Foreign project, said Susan Eggers, an assistant problem is important and, briefly, how subscriptions are $37.50 in Canada and $45 in all other countries, professor of computer science and you plan to solve it. But Eggers cau- payable in US dollars. engineering at the University of tioned that you should not give the Washington. reviewers the nitty-gritty details or ❒ This is a change of address. I have included my address label or a Eggers was one of the speakers at information they would not understand. copy of the old address. the CRA Workshop on Academic You have to sell your idea, which Careers for Women that was held often is a hard task for women. You have Free Subscription Policy: COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS is mailed free to 1) during the Federated Computing to argue your idea and say how your faculty members, administrators and full-time researchers in college and university Research Conference in San Diego in May. work is promising, how it is different or computing departments, 2) research staff members and administrators of nonprofit The workshop was chaired by Cynthia better than other approaches (or and for-profit laboratories involved in computing research and 3) persons who affect Brown of Northeastern University. complementary to other approaches), policies related to computing research. what your unique qualifications are and Some agencies have sources of Name funding earmarked for principal how the results will be valuable to the investigators only, but much more funder. Title/Position money is available for collaborative Despite your best effort, you may Phone E-mail efforts, Eggers said. The type of funding have your proposal rejected. “Don’t get Organization researchers try for will depend on how discouraged,” Eggers said. “Make it a Type of Organization far along they are in their research and learning experience.” She said that how broad their interests are. because more people are trying for fewer Department Researchers should get to know the dollars, it is getting harder. Address funding agency’s program director Eggers stressed that researchers City State before they submit a proposal. “Techni- should take the reviews seriously and fix ZIP+4 cal schmoozing,” such as introducing any portions of the proposal that were Mail this form to: COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS yourself at a conference and being misunderstood before resubmitting it. Subscription Department Researchers who get their proposals persistent about having the program Computing Research Association funded should cite the funder in papers, director meet with you, either at the 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 718 conference or back at the office, is stay in touch with the funder and do a Washington, DC 20009 important to being successful, Eggers said. good job, because this will increase the Fax: 202-667-1066; E-mail: [email protected] Researchers should write their chances for success in the future.

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Expanding the Pipeline

Mentoring project from Page 3 Systers from Page 3 They often dominate discussions. Even students and mentors can ask to work with specific individuals to accommodate tive forum in which flaming is rare and when they do not, the style of a mixed established relationships. personal attacks are actively discour- conversation tends to be in the style of A selection committee will examine the applications in the spring, seeking an aged. Members are asked not to forward male-dominated discussions. As women optimal match between students and mentors. An award of $5,000 per student/ a message or use its contents outside the understand more clearly what those mentor match will support about ten weeks of research during the summer of 1994. list without the permission of contribu- differences are and what professional The application and selection process for the summer 1995 projects will start in the tors to the message. This rule empowers discourse is like on our own, we will be fall of 1994. our members and protects our privacy better able to bring our voice to open We expect the research experience to be stimulating. We also intend to foster by giving each of us control over the forums. true mentoring, going beyond the all-too-common exploitation of programming breadth of distribution of our com- I recently received two messages labor. Researchers might mentor more than one student, but we will avoid over- ments. It is based on a common that illustrate how systers helps women extending professors and diluting the mentoring relationships. Ideally, students will courtesy that, if applied more generally, participate more effectively and more come away with an appreciation for research, an understanding of the university would make the net a more hospitable professionally with men. environment, contacts among both graduate students and professors who can advise place for substantive group problem- A researcher from an industrial lab them on applying to graduate school and a special relationship with a successful solving. It is not a rule of secrecy. said, “When I first joined the list a few female computer scientist or engineer who can be a model, an inspiration and a Systers is not analogous to a private years ago, I was skeptical about the resource for years to come. all-male club. It is different because need for a list specifically devoted to Summer 1994 applications are available from the Distributed Mentor Project, women in computer science are a small issues facing women working in Computing Research Association, Suite 718, 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, minority of the community. It is computer science. But since then, I Washington, DC 20009. For more information, contact Joseph O’Rourke, Depart- different because systers is not inter- have become much more aware of the ment of Computer Science, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063. E-mail: ested in secrecy or in keeping useful differences in the ways men and women [email protected]. information from the rest of the interact, and many of the experiences References community. Useful messages regularly and views shared by others on this list are made public after checking with the [GM90] D. Gries and D. Marsh, “Taulbee Survey Report: 1989-1990,” Computing Research have helped me to better understand contributors. It is unlikely that an under- News, (January 1991), pp. 6-10. how to function effectively in a male- empowered minority will keep inaccessible [GM91] D. Gries and D. Marsh, “Taulbee Survey Report: 1990-1991,” Computing Research dominated research environment.” information from the large empowered News, (January 1992), pp. 8-12. A university professor described a majority that has every means of communi- [NSF91] Research Experiences for Undergraduates: A Summary of FY 1987/1990 Participant change in her students: “The availabil- cation available to it. I have not ad- Characteristics, National Science Foundation, July 1991. ity of the list to our women graduate dressed whether a forum such as systers [YS92] C. M. Yentsch and C. J. Sindermann, The Woman Scientist: Meeting the Challenges for a students here at [the university] has would be necessary in an ideal and Successful Career, New York: Plenum Press, 1992. p. 157. had a remarkable affect on our students. egalitarian world or even in a world [S93] E. Schweppe, “1991-92 CRA Taulbee Survey,” Computing Research News, (March The women are becoming more self- similar to our own but with many more 1993), pp. 4-9. confident and more aggressive in their women in computing. When we get dealings with our male-dominated Joseph O’Rourke is chair of the Computer Science Department at Smith College. there, we can make that decision. faculty, many of whom still regard The following paragraphs enumer- women as out of place in the program.” ate the reasons for keeping systers a Pitfalls for women from Page 4 Systers is not the only forum in female-only forum. None of these which concerned women participate. It Let me ask a few questions: benefits accrue to women in other is only a starting place and place of How many of you are male? (none) existing open forums. respite in our journey to equality. It is How many of you are in your mid-20s? (about half) Women need a place to find each essential that we continue to actively How many of you would characterize yourselves as nerds? (one) other. Within computer science, women communicate and participate with men, How many of you would characterize yourselves as totally focused on computers? (one) often are a geographically dispersed and How many of you would characterize yourselves as hackers? (a few) individually isolated minority. Women that we not become isolated from How many of you have experienced a “chilly classroom?” (over half) rarely have the opportunity to interact professional men and that we bring our How many of you have started a conversation with the words, “I am not your in person with other women in com- issues to the fore at every appropriate typical student…?” (about one-third) puter science on any subject. Women opportunity. Because most of us work How many of you consider yourselves computer scientists? (most of the audience) (and men) have many opportunities to exclusively or nearly exclusively with Let me tell you something about this group of 208 emerging computer scientists interact with men. Until systers was men, it is impossible for us to become that I know because I read all of your applications. You all come with the highest created, the notion of a global commu- isolated from men even if we wish to be. recommendations of your department chair or dean. You are all gifted students, but nity of women in computer science did Because men make up the vast majority you are also musicians, artists, athletes, campus leaders, teachers, librarians, mothers, not exist. of the field, it would be foolish to grandmothers, community leaders and so on. The truth is that you do not need Women need female role models and believe that real change could take computer science as much as computer science needs you. You bring a balanced, mentors. A primary function of women- place without them. only interaction is mentoring. Exposing holistic world view that is critical to successfully integrating computer technology To include men in systers would women to the full range of significant into society in ways that are appropriate and positive. take away a vital source of mutual interactions among women, without the I want all of you to burn a picture in your minds of this critical mass of more support from women. On the other perception of help or advice from men, hand, the need for serious discussion in than 200 computer science students who do not fit the common description of a serves to bolster self-esteem and an open forum exists. It behooves computer science student. You are the computer scientists of the coming decade who independence. This includes exposure whoever runs such a forum to realize will provide new role models, eliminate the pitfalls and expand the paradigm of to women discussing purely technical that women who have experienced computer science for those who follow. issues among themselves. Our experi- civilized, productive communication on ence shows that this makes women systers will be for the most part uninter- FCRC town meeting from Page 1 more—rather than less—able to ested in participating in a wide open interact professionally with men. state and federal representatives ensures that these representatives, and also your free-for-all. The commonly applied list- Women need a place to discuss our university’s provost and president, are aware of the major science policy issues and management principle “if you can’t take issues. Many open forums that focus on the critical role computing research plays in the vitality of the nation and of your the heat, get off of the list” will not women’s issues suffer from a common region. When making contact, emphasize the positive—the contributions our work. It has been tried and has failed. problem. Discussions frequently are discipline has made and can make. For advice, talk to your colleagues and CRA’s The forum will need a strong dominated by disagreements between executive director or any board members. leader/moderator, committed to the men and women about what the issues Joseph Traub of Columbia University described the activities of the Computer encouragement of productive discussion are rather than how to deal with them. Science and Telecommunications Board. CSTB is chartered by the National and willing to stop unproductive Research Council, which is the operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences This is not a problem with all men, but argument. I do this for systers. While I and Engineering. William A. Wulf, a recently retired CRA board member, is chair of is a problem with almost all such open have neither the desire nor the energy CSTB. Juris Hartmanis, another CRA board member, headed the CSTB panel that forums. Women more often share to run another forum, I surely am not wrote the widely discussed report Computing the Future: A Broader Agenda for common ground that allows them to get the only person capable of doing it. I Computer Science and Engineering. beyond defining issues and on to offer my help and experience to anyone Mary Vernon of the University of Wisconsin at Madison discussed her participa- constructing solutions. who is willing to take on the task. tion on the NSF Blue Ribbon Panel on High-Performance Computing. Beside Women need to discover their own It is not the reluctance of women Vernon, only one other core computing researcher—Burton Smith—was appointed voice. Discussion among women is or our participation in forums like to this 14-member panel headed by Lewis Branscomb and charged to advise the different from that of women together systers that limits communication and National Science Board on how the National Science Foundation should participate with men. Men, even when in a joint problem-solving with men. It is the in high-performance computing over the next five years. minority and even when well-meaning, Continued on Page 7 have a different style of interaction. Continued on Page 13

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Association News New board members elected Dave Patterson begins Ruzena Bajcsy Computer science professor and director of the term as CRA board chair GRASP Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania David A. Patterson, chair of the Adrion, professor of computer and Bajcsy has a doctorate in electrical engineering from Slovak Computer Science Division at the information sciences at the University Technical University in Czechoslovakia and a doctorate in University of California at Berkeley, of Massachusetts, Amherst; John E. computer science from Stanford University. became the new chair of the Comput- Savage, professor of computer science at Bajcsy’s research interests are in the general area of ing Research Association on July 1. Brown University; and Robert W. machine perception—including segmentation, 3-D shape The other officers, who will serve Ritchie, director of university affairs at recognition and multiresolution problems—and how it relates until June 30, 1995, are Vice Chair Hewlett-Packard Co. to the field of computer vision and extends to other modalities, particularly touch. Maria Klawe, head of the Computer At press time, H.T. Kung resigned She is a Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence and of the Science Department at the University from the board and Patterson desig- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. of British Columbia; Secretary Gregory nated Mary K. Vernon of the University Bajcsy is program chair of IJCAI-93; a member of the National Research R. Andrews, professor and head of the of Wisconsin at Madison as his replace- Council Committee on Computer Science and Telecommunications; a member of Computer Science Department at the ment. Vernon is an associate professor the board that wrote Computing the Future; and a member of National Science University of Arizona; and Treasurer of computer science. She also is a Foundation advisory boards on engineering and on the Computer and Information Michael R. Garey, director of the member of the NSF Blue Ribbon Panel Science and Engineering Directorate. Mathematical Sciences Research on High-Performance Computing. Center at AT&T Bell Laboratories. The CRA appreciates the time and Barry W. Boehm CRA Board of Directors elects the four effort contributed by its retiring board officers. members: Victor Basili, professor of Computer science professor and director of the CRA would like to thank its past computer science at the University of Center for Software Engineering, University of board officers. Past chair, John R. Rice, Maryland; and William A. Wulf, Southern California professor of computer science at Purdue professor of computer science at the Boehm earned a doctorate in mathematics from the University of University, remains on the Board of University of Virginia. California at Los Angeles. Directors, as does the past vice chair, CRA’s bylaws state that elections Boehm’s research interests are software process modeling, Peter Freeman, dean of the College of will be held each spring to fill seats left software requirements engineering, software architectures, Engineering at the Georgia Institute of open by expiring terms of office or by resignations. Seven seats were open this software metrics and cost models, software engineering Technology. year. Each CRA member organization is environments and knowledge-based software engineering. CRA’s new board members, who allowed one vote for each open seat on He has served as director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s were elected by the association’s Information Science and Technology Office and the Defense Department’s Software the board. member organizations to three-year The CRA Election Committee and Intelligent Systems Technology Office; was TRW’s chief scientist of the Defense terms that began July 1, are Ruzena Systems Group; and was head of Rand Corp.’s Information Sciences Department. puts together a slate of candidates from Bajcsy, professor of computer science at nominations made by members of the Boehm has served on several editorial boards and has served on the governing the University of Pennsylvania; Barry computing research community. In board of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society. He is Boehm, professor of computer science preparing the slate, the committee seeks an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and IEEE Fellow. at the University of Southern Califor- reputable computer researchers and nia; and Duncan Lawrie, professor and research administrators who are willing Duncan H. Lawrie head of the Computer Science Depart- to devote time and energy to CRA. The ment at the University of Illinois, committee looks for a varied slate in Professor and chair of the Computer Science Urbana-Champaign. terms of research field, organization Department at the University of Illinois, Four board members were re- type, gender, ethnic background and Urbana-Champaign elected: Maria Klawe; W. Richards geography. Lawrie has a doctorate in computer science from the University of Illinois. His research interests are computer architecture and information systems. He is an Institute of Electrical and CRA chair: A call to action Electronics Engineers Fellow and has held several positions in the IEEE Computer Society. issued to CS&E researchers Lawrie said he would like to use his experience as a researcher and as a past BY David A. Patterson be asking for your help at an important president of the IEEE Computer Society to help CRA meet the challenge of bringing In the waning days of my chairmanship time in the history of CS&E. If CRA together our discipline’s other professional societies to create a powerful voice of of the Computer Science Division at calls asking for help, we are counting on reason to inform the public and our policymakers. the University of California at Berkeley, you to volunteer. I attended the Federated Computing The good news is that CRA has Research Conference in San Diego. At been on a roll. In just three months, CRA board meets in Washington the time I was planning my sabbatical, from May through July, we accom- plished a great deal: BY David A. Patterson sional policy seminars. In July, Leonard with travel as reward for my three years • CRA has become a serious The July 1993 Computing Research Kleinrock gave a presentation on high- as Berkeley Chair. Almost as soon as I representative of computing in Wash- Association Board of Directors’ meeting speed data networks. Nancy Leveson arrived, I was approached by members of the Computing Research Association ington. The association influenced the was held for the first time in Washing- tentatively is scheduled to speak on important Boucher bill (the National ton, DC. Given the importance of software reliability and integrity in the about running for chair. My reply was: “Why in the world Information Infrastructure Act of 1993) representation in Washington for CRA’s fall. Our goal is to sponsor two or three and is being asked for the CS&E would I want to do that?” goals, we intend to have one CRA seminars per year to maintain CRA’s research perspective on other upcoming Their answer: “The United States board meeting per year in this fine city. visibility with Congress. legislation. By the end of 1993, CRA is forming a new social contract for Guests on the first day of the • CRA will reconvene the “CS&E will have sponsored three congressional meeting included Duane Adams of the Summit,” and invite the presidents and research, the first since World War II seminars. Advanced Research Projects Agency, executive directors of CRA, the with Vannevar Bush’s ‘Endless Frontier.’ • The CRA Workshop on Nico Habermann of the National Association for Computing Machinery Physics started at the front of that line, Academic Careers for Women was a Science Foundation’s Computer and (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and and little changed in 45 years. Here is a smashing success, with some thinking it Information Science and Engineering Electronics Engineers Computer Society chance to help set a new contract that is the most significant event that they Directorate and William A. Wulf, chair (IEEE CS), the Society for Industrial may last for decades, to reorder the have attended. of the National Research Council’s and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the priorities. And it is computer science • The Federated Computer Computer Science and Technology American Association for Artificial and engineering’s chance to move up in Research Conference (FCRC ’93) was Board. As a result of the discussion that Intelligence (AAAI), the Computer that line, as it deserves.” another great success and is likely to evening, we made the following plans: Systems Policy Project, Computing Alas, this argument had a terrible become a regular national event, • The CRA Government Affairs Professionals for Social Responsibility flaw—it made tremendous sense. So I offering both quality and breadth. Committee, under the able direction of and the Computer Science and agreed to run and was elected. But if • The CRA Industrial Research Edward Lazowska, was given the task of Telecommunications Board to meet in the argument applies to me, it applies to Workshop at Snowbird in July marked helping the Senate Appropriations Washington to discuss items of interest you as a member of the computer the beginning of a new CS&E commu- Committee understand high-perfor- to computer science research with science and engineering research nity: directors of CS&E research mance computing and communications. science policy leaders such as the community. Thus this article is a call to organizations who, before the workshop, • CRA will continue its congres- Continued on Page 13 action, letting you know that CRA will Continued on Page 9

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Conference News

FCRC from Page 5 digital communications. The politics of The computational scientists on continued federal involvement in this IFIP Congress ’94 is in the panel were open-minded but were area—an area in which technology and not well-informed about the contribu- the market are created by innovations tions to high-performance computing from the research community—have Germany next August made by academic and industrial become complex. BY Wilfried Brauer and Ronald P. Uhlig members of the computing research Audience participation Computer science is in a period of great change. Many questions must be answered community. on an international scale. The best forum to discuss these and other related issues is More than an hour of the town These panel members tended to the 13th World Computer Congress, IFIP Congress 1994, which will be held next meeting was devoted to audience view capabilities in this area as the Aug. 28–Sept. 2 in Hamburg, Germany. participation. Many issues were product of vendor development efforts. People from around the world will discuss likely developments in information addressed: Vernon and Smith presented fellow and communication technologies and their applications, impact and foundations. Of • panel members with a list of research What constructive roles can even greater interest, interactions and feedback among these areas will be discussed individuals and departments play in the in some depth, and action agendas for progress will be presented to the computer and contributions, which included reduced science policy arena? One must recognize communications community in a message summarizing the findings of the congress. instruction set computing technology; the importance of this activity, be The congress will offer technical discussions in five tracks. On the first day, computer-aided design tools; willing to serve and support those who Experts Day, keynote speakers will present their views on the impact of investment multicomputers and the message do serve. (Volunteering as a rotator at strategies on computer and communications use. They will speak from the perspec- passing programming model; shared- tive of national strategies in the United States, Japan and Europe. The addresses will NSF is frequently recommended by memory architectures and programming be delivered by high-ranking government and industry speakers. Influential politi- those who have done so.) models; hypercube, mesh, and fat tree cians from the European Community and the German government will attend the • How can the computing research interconnects and routing algorithms; opening, as will the president of the union of German industrial companies. community achieve consensus on policy SIMD architectures; the data parallel The tracks will begin with presentations by experts in their fields. In about 25 This is a critical topic. Vernon and SPMD programming models; issues? meet-the-experts sessions, participants will break into small groups of no more than and others emphasized the value to the vector compiler technology; parallel 50 attendees and one expert. During two Specialist Days, the tracks will continue discipline of combining vigorous with invited and submitted contributions. The five tracks are as follows: compiler technology; Unix and Mach; internal debate with a unified and • Hardware, Software and Communications Technology; lightweight and wait-free synchroniza- mutually supportive external presence. • Computer and Communications Applications; tion primitives; performance debugging There is no magic formula. We must • Impact (the role of computers and communications in solving major world tools; parallel database architectures think about policy issues, discuss them problems); and algorithms; parallel optimization with our colleagues and communicate • Foundations; and algorithms; and algorithms and with people already active in the policy • The Role of Information and Communication Technologies for Developing machine learning technology for arena: department chairs and industrial Countries. computational biology. research lab directors, members of the The second part of Congress ’94 is designed to stimulate feedback among the The panelists became convinced CRA Board of Directors and the CISE tracks. On Linkage Day, joint sessions between pairs of tracks will address serious that most high-performance computing issues related to both areas. To generate interest for this unprecedented approach and Advisory Committee. technology is the result of computing focus the feedback discussions, the International Program Committee has formulated • How will basic research fare in the research and that support for computing several key questions. Every congress participant will have the opportunity to participate in new climate? The panelists felt that this research was relevant to the panel’s working groups that will develop preliminary action agendas for the issues. question was ill-posed. Although charter. On Message Day, the preliminary action agendas developed by the working researchers increasingly will be expected Vernon and Smith emphasized to groups will be presented to participants during a plenary session. This message to the to argue the relevance of their research, computer and communications community will discuss preferred directions that panel members that broad-based this is not equivalent to a polarization individuals from industry, government and academia can take. Action items will be advances are still required (it is not just between theory and systems or basic published as the Congress ’94 Message. a software problem) and that computing and applied research. Strong ties with More information is available from the following sources: researchers are users as well as develop- industry are emphasized in the new • Gopher (see IFIP under International Organizations) ers of high-performance computing climate. Technology transfer in com- • LISTSERV: LISTSERV@CEARN; PostScript files: IFIP94-1 PS through technology (advances require access to puter science and engineering already is IFIP94-6 PS; ASCII file: CFPWCC94 TXT. prototypes, early commercial systems quite effective; our field should be in a • Anonymous FTP: SOFTWARE.WATSON.IBM.COM /PUB/IFIP; PostScript and current-generation MPPs). strong position to make the case for files: mget IFIP94-* PS; ASCII file: get CFPWCC94 TXT. Vernon also discussed the enhanced research funding. • Conference Secretariat IFIP ’94, Congress Centrum, Hamburg. Fax: 49-40- activities of the NSF Computer and • What effect will changes in the 3569-2343. Information Science and Engineering computing industry have on computing The deadline for submitting papers is Jan. 14. The deadline for submitting (CISE) Advisory Committee. The research? Audience members expressed informal presentations (posters, videos and non-commercial demonstrations) is April 22. members of this committee are a key concern about the downsizing and communication mechanism between refocusing of the great research Wilfried Brauer is a professor of computer science at the University of Technology in the research community and the CISE laboratories established by companies Munich, Germany, and a council member of the IFIP. Directorate. such as AT&T and IBM. Will the new Ronald Uhlig is director of Intelligent Network Solutions at Northern Telecom and chair of CRA’s Weingarten identified four generation of leadership companies in the International Program Committee. Fax: 214-684-3787; E-mail: [email protected]. major areas of policy activity. The first is computing (Microsoft, for example) high-performance computing and invest as much in research and human communications—both retrospectively resources? (How well are the goals of the HPCC • What should be done about the 1994 CRA Conference at Snowbird Act of 1991 being achieved?) and tight job market for recent Ph.D. recipients July 10–12 ◆ Snowbird, Utah prospectively (What midcourse in computer science and computer legislative changes could be made to engineering? This question generated a The 1994 CRA Conference at Snowbird will include the Department improve the effectiveness of this spirited discussion. Many are concerned Chairs Workshop and the Research Managers Workshop. The CRA Conference at Snowbird is the flagship conference for academic and effort?). that the computing research commu- research laboratory administrators interested in computing research issues. The second policy area is authori- nity is ignoring the lessons learned in If you would like to receive information about the conference when it zation, particularly the definition of mathematics and physics. Audience becomes available, fill out this form and return it to CRA. NSF’s role in future science and members were enthusiastic about asking technology efforts as it will relate to that faculty and departments publicize Name other agencies such as the National how their recent Ph.D. recipients have Title/Position Institute of Standards and Technology. fared in the job market. It is likely that Organization The third area is appropriation. CRA will charter a group to make Once the right agencies are authorized short-term and long-term policy Department to conduct the right activities, it is recommendations. Address necessary to fund the initiatives. This Edward D. Lazowska is chair of the City State can be difficult because of budget Department of Computer Science and ZIP+4 E-mail Address cutbacks. Engineering at the University of Washing- CRA Conference at Snowbird, Computing Research Association, The fourth area is NREN. The ton and chair of the CRA Government telecommunications industry has 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 718, Washington, DC 20009. Affairs Committee. E-mail: Tel. 202-234-2111; Fax: 202-667-1066; E-mail: [email protected]. developed an enormous interest in [email protected].

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Policy News CRA submits testimony on infrastructure bill In May, the House Science, Space and these systems practical. But the cube and computer engineering, both in rithms have placed nearly within reach Technology Subcommittee on Science held architecture itself, the message-passing general and in the specific application interfaces that employ speech, images, a hearing on the National Information programming paradigm, the operating areas covered by the act. language and knowledge—so-called Infrastructure Act of 1993, HR 1757. The system software and many key high- I would like to provide some “SILK interfaces.” following is an edited version of the written performance algorithms are recent specific examples of the role of comput- Interfaces that understand speech statement submitted to the subcommittee by in a limited domain of discourse already Edward Lazowska on behalf of the are used commercially. Systems that Computing Research Association. work usably well in a general setting Lazowska is chair of the Department of HPCC applications and digital technology and digital have been demonstrated in the Computer Science and Engineering at the laboratory. Storage technology has University of Washington and a member of information will strengthen America’s economy and advanced remarkably. the CRA Board of Directors. High-resolution color images Your subcommittee’s outstanding unite its people. require a significant amount of storage, work, both on HR 1757 (formerly and color video requires significant known as the High-Performance network bandwidth. But these now are Computing and High-Speed Network- within reach. The day of digital movies products of federally funded CS and CE ing research in areas related to the ing Applications Act of 1993) and on sent to the home via a fiber-optic research at universities. Much of the High-Performance Computing Act of HR 656 (the High-Performance network is not far off, and aggressive use early use of Intel’s systems occurred in 1991 and the National Information Computing Act of 1991), is of keen of images and video in user interfaces is government laboratories. MasPar’s Infrastructure Act of 1993. I will steer interest to CRA and of critical impor- becoming common. single-instruction, multiple-data clear of the obvious, such as designing tance to America’s future. Technology to understand language architectures and the data-parallel and prototyping high-performance There are five points I would like also is making rapid advances through programming model evolved from computer architectures and network to emphasize: progress in the hardware and software university laboratories. architectures. The high-performance 1. Advances in high-performance domains. Uses of this technology The record of technology develop- computing and networking technologies computing and communications (HPCC) include a broad range of reading and ment and transfer between government, upon which these acts are based largely have been phenomenal. writing aids: tools for highlighting and industry and academia is unprec- are products of federally funded Astounding advances in computing summarizing articles; greatly improved edented. I cannot think of another field university CS and CE research. Here have become so routine that I some- spelling, grammar and style checkers; that enjoys comparable relationships. are a few examples: times worry we are in danger of taking and filing assistants. Technology to We must not lose this momentum. • Digital libraries: Twenty years this progress for granted. generate language, coupled with speech from now, with sufficient attention paid My Macintosh laptop has about 25 3. As phenomenal as these advances synthesis hardware, is common. to the issue, people will be amazed at times the memory and 10 times the have been, the next decade or two will be Programs that read stored text aloud are the way we use libraries today. As the processing speed as the building-sized the time in which digital technology can a boon to the sightless; programs that subcommittee knows, a key benefit of mainframe that served the entire truly transform America. read columns of numbers in a spread- Advances in computing are making digital information in general and digital academic and administrative needs of sheet make verification easier. it possible to attack the grand-challenge libraries in particular is that they benefit Brown University just two decades ago. Over the coming years, progres- problems of science and engineering. all of America, and have the potential It is difficult to accurately predict sively more sophisticated SILK inter- With even greater pervasiveness, to benefit remote areas even more than the incredible progress technology is faces will have the potential to revolu- though, advances in computing are major metropolitan areas. making. I recently ran across a chart tionize the ease of use of digital systems. enabling what Richard Rashid, Mi- Because of the last generation of from 1972 that synthesized a number of CS and CE research such as this is crosoft Corp.’s research director, has advances in computing, much of the expert predictions concerning progress essential to the success of the national referred to as the “digital information basic hardware to support digital in large-scale computing.1 The experts’ information infrastructure. revolution.” He said, “New technologies libraries exists today. The University of predictions for 1990, which undoubt- These few examples barely begin to make it easier to transform analog California at Berkeley’s current $47 edly seemed wild in 1972, turned out to illustrate the fundamental role comput- messages, including the spoken word, million library construction project will be low by a factor of about 25 for both ing research must play in achieving the text or pictures, into the digital house 2 million books, which could be memory capacity and processing speed. goals of the acts. The human resource language of computers, which then can stored on $500,000 worth of electronic And the experts’ predictions for the requirements are equally significant. At be transmitted, processed and stored media. year 2000 are a factor of 1,000 below all degree levels, the demand for electronically. In digital electronic form, We are a long way from being able current estimates. computer scientists and computer textual, audio and video information to build a digital library of the scale and But as difficult as it is to predict engineers remains strong. The enor- can be combined, [and] used by a sophistication envisioned by HR 1757. this kind of progress, it is even more mous opportunities for new business variety of different machines in new and CS and CE research issues that need to difficult to forecast the changes that will that will be created by the digital exciting applications.” be addressed, many of which are be brought about by such progress. information revolution are but one HPCC applications and digital identified in the act, include storing the Electronic data processing, yes, but who factor working to ensure that this technology and digital information will incredible volume of information; would have guessed compact disc demand will continue. strengthen America’s economy and managing the memory hierarchy to players, cellular telephones, CAT A key concern of CRA is that the unite its people. achieve reasonable access times; scanners, faxes or electronic prototyping implementation of the High-Perfor- locating information; dealing with the environments? Who would have 4. Stronger investment in basic mance Computing Act of 1991 fell far demands of multimedia documents predicted that computation would join research and human resources in computer short in placing sufficient resources into (text, images, music, voice, video); physical experimentation and math- science and computer engineering is basic research and human resources in accommodating variations in communi- ematical analysis as a third basic essential. computer science and computer Today’s amazing digital technology cation and display capabilities; achiev- paradigm for how to do science and engineering, particularly within the is the direct result of yesterday’s ing reliability; designing compression engineering? Who could have known National Science Foundation. CRA investments in basic research and algorithms to improve cost and that major areas of biology and com- would emphasize that: human resources in computer science performance; designing advanced user puter science would converge due to • Basic research and human and computer engineering. interfaces; and devising new crypto- the digital nature of the human resources in computer science and Tomorrow’s even greater advances, graphic protocols to help deal with genome? computer engineering are essential to and the changes they will bring, will be copyright and use issues. Were it not for the contributions of achieving the short- and long-term possible only if we invest today. There also are many policy issues: computer science and computer goals of the acts. Advances in computer Digital technology has progressed • SILK interfaces: Advanced user engineering research, we would not science and computer engineering fuel so far already and computing devices interfaces are just one aspect of digital even be dreaming of attacking the these initiatives. are so fast that many people are libraries and of government information grand-challenge problems of science • To ensure a well-balanced tempted to believe the technology systems, health care systems and many and engineering or of creating a program, a significant amount of this needed to make the vision embodied in education applications. This commonal- national information infrastructure. support must be provided through non- HR 1757 a reality is on the shelf and ity emphasizes the importance of 2. These advances have been the mission-oriented agencies—particularly ready to be deployed. I commend this supporting core research in computer result of a highly effective partnership NSF—that sustain the broad funda- subcommittee for recognizing that this science and computer engineering, so between government, industry and mental technology base. is not the case and for making it explicit these common problems get solved academia. • By any measure, existing support in HR 1757 that further investments once, solved generally and solved right. Intel Corp. has done an enormous for computing research is low. Comput- are essential in basic research and In the past several years, advances amount to advance the state of the art human resources in computer science in hardware technology and in algo- in scalable multicomputers and to make Continued on Page 9

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Policy News

Table 1. NII Act of 1993 Authorizations by Program (in millions of dollars) 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Total Connections: NSF 15 30 50 Ð Ð 95 Research for Applications 6 15 20 20 20 81 Education (NSF) 16 45 60 75 75 271 Health (HHS) 22 54 72 90 90 328 Libraries: NSF 8 16 22 32 32 110 NASA 4 8 10 12 12 46 Government Information 41216212174 Total Per Fiscal Year 75 180 250 250 250 1,005

NII from Page 1 insistence from Republican members, and NASA and the National Science networks to exchange medical images that the federal program will not all funding authorized by the bill must Foundation. and records, basic research on virtual subsidize government networks that be drawn from funding already autho- NII funding is broken down into reality, development of interactive might compete with private commercial rized and allocated to existing programs. the following components (See Table 1): technology to help patients and on-line networks,” a Senate press release said. Hence, the bill does not add money to Connections: NSF would help pay services to provide statistical informa- However, the educational commu- the HPCC program, but rather shifts the cost of Internet access for educa- tion revealing patterns of disease among nity and the telephone companies have the program’s focus. tional institutions, libraries, museums specific populations. Also added to the bill since its and state and local governments. Libraries: NSF and NASA would reached agreement and both recom- introduction is a provision whereby Applications research: This includes fund projects to digitize libraries and mend that the language in HR 1757 be recipients of grants and awards must funding for research on security, privacy organize and store large quantities of substituted in S 4. procure products from American and copyright problems, as well as in information, with a focus on finding The Senate version, the National companies “when available and cost- the areas of user interfaces and social friendly user interfaces and a way to Competitiveness Act, includes NII effective.” science. protect copyright. This component also legislation among other sections dealing Finally, a “sunset” amendment was Education: NSF would fund would fund prototype projects to make with advanced manufacturing and wind added to the bill, which would end any projects to demonstrate educational digital libraries available on the Internet. engineering. new NII funding by fiscal 1998. uses of the Internet; development of Government information: This Although the Senate Commerce The NII bill calls for the Federal hardware systems, software and section seeks to encourage dissemina- Committee approved S 4 in May, the Coordinating Council for Science, networks for teacher training and tion of electronic information by bill has not been scheduled for a floor vote. Engineering and Technology to direct informal education; and the develop- federal, state and local governments The House NII bill underwent an interagency program, involving the ment of education software. Funding is and focuses on getting depository several other significant changes during departments of Commerce, Energy, directed at all levels of education. libraries to offer information through its subcommittee markup. Upon Defense, Health and Human Services, Health: HHS would fund testbed the Internet.

Testimony from Page 8 This is the right time for an applications federally funded research and education tiveness. This area is poised for signifi- ing is a foundation technology, so act, and this is the right act. The networking is a customer for private cant advances because it relies on the advances in computing have a pervasive application areas are well-selected; they sector services, not a competitor, and HPCC technologies in which so much effect. are of great importance and of broad that this Internet community has been progress has been made. Additional It is estimated that the computing societal impact, and they are natural responsible for creating the high- progress required to achieve these industry accounts for 10% to 20% of the extensions of HPCC advances that performance communication technol- advances is common to the other gross domestic product. The software have been achieved. ogy and applications. CRA feels that HPCC application areas covered by the industry alone contributed $37 billion of The act shows a clear commitment attempts to legislate a strict separation act, including progress or improvements value added to the US economy in to basic research in support of these between production networks and in visualization, network security and 1992.2 advanced applications—a recognition experimental networks, and attempts to privacy, collaborative technology, It is estimated that the federal that the ambitious goals of the act place detailed restrictions on the use of database technology and user interfaces. require further advances in core CS and the latter are incompatible with the government spends $150 billion per References year on computing. Yet the support in CE research areas. Advances in nature of the Internet and would 1Robert E. Lynch and John R. Rice, NSF for CS and CE research is only computing technology are so great— paralyze future advances. Computers: Their Impact and Use; BASIC 3 performance doubles about every 18 CRA has been working with other about $110 million per year. Language, New York: Holt, Rinehart and months—that it is necessary to rethink education and research organizations to • Because the basic level of support Winston, 1975. basic approaches continually. develop a clear policy agenda regarding for computing research is so low, 2“The US Software Industry: Economic particularly within NSF, it is critical that The demonstration projects are the National Research and Education Contribution in the US and World new initiatives be supported with new essential, not just because they will Network, and we would welcome the Markets,” Economists Inc. (March 1993). money, rather than repainting existing allow the technology to be developed opportunity to work with the telecom- 3An additional $96 million per year is spent projects or diverting funds from those and prototyped, but because they will munications industry to devise a on the supercomputer centers and NSFnet. projects. Authorization without provide a forum for the government and mutually agreeable framework. Although the supercomputer centers are a appropriation may have a negative the private sector to consider critical We would like to bring to the valuable national resource and have been instrumental in effecting a paradigm shift in effect. regulatory issues based on experience subcommittee’s attention a key rather than speculation. application area that is closely related to many areas of science and engineering, they 5. The National Information generally have not been relevant to the Infrastructure Act of 1993 seems to be CRA appreciates the concerns of the act but not included in it: engineer- advancement of CS and CE research that precisely on target, although we do have the telecommunications industry as ing design. Improving the engineering supports high-performance computing. 4 several suggestions concerning its expressed in their policy statement and design process—our ability to design 4CEO policy statement of 14 major implementation. in testimony before this subcommittee. products and bring them to market—is telecommunications companies, March 23, CRA strongly supports HR 1757. We would point out, however, that critical to restoring America’s competi- 1993.

Call to action from Page 6 our resources with our priorities for the activities also are important for our our oldest contribution to the CS&E had not gotten together to talk about field. CRA is interested in your Canadian members. community. suggestions on its future directions. To problems and issues common to all of Our next priority is to continue to • The Industrial Research start the discussion, here are my views them. These 20 research directors— do the things we have been doing well. Workshop at Snowbird (“Little Snow- on the priorities for CRA for the next each of whom supervises 25 to 100 These activities and projects include: bird”) is our effort to help the commu- three to five years. • Activities of the CRA Commit- nity of industrial research labs to grow. CS&E Ph.D.s—made friends, started E- Our successors will curse our tee on the Status of Women, such as • Computing Research News, which mail exchanges and promised to meet memories if we miss this opportunity to the Workshop on Academic Careers for is the voice of CRA. A recent reader- again in 12 months. set the new research agenda that may The job of the CRA is to continue Women. ship survey said 85% of subscribers read last decades. Hence, highest priority is three or more of the last four issues, or accelerate this momentum. representation in Washington. This • FCRC ’96: Planning is under way spending an average of 45 minutes Everything we do takes some means we cannot shortchange this task and CRA must help ensure the reading this short news journal. portion of bandwidth of the five CRA for the next three to five years. Because conference is as successful as the first • The award-winning annual CRA staff and some portion of bandwidth of the Washington research agenda FCRC. the CRA board. While we get few inevitably has some influence on the • The CRA Conference at Survey on the Production and Employ- foolish suggestions, we have to balance Canadian research agenda, these Snowbird (“Big Snowbird”), which is Continued on Page 16

Page 9 COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS September 1993

Policy News Congress increases NSF budget, debates its mission Table 1. NSF Appropriations (in millions of dollars) 1993 1994 Increase 1994 Increase Estimate Request over 1993 Appropriation over 1993 Research 1859.0 2204.8 18% 2045.0 10% Education 487.5 556.1 14% 569.6 17% Polar Programs 158.0 163.1 3% 158.1 0% Antarctic Logistical Support 63.4 65.1 3% 65.1 3% Academic Research Facilities and Instrumentation 50.0 55.0 10% 55.0 10% Critical Technology Institute 1.0 1.0 0% 1.0 0% Salaries and Expenses 111.0 125.8 13% 121.0 9% Relocation N/A 5.2 N/A 5.2 N/A Inspector General 3.7 4.1 11% 3.9 5%

Total NSF Budget 2,733.6 3,180.2 16% 3,023.9 11%

BY Juan Antonio Osuna Meanwhile, the House Science, basic research is an essential component mission, Rep. Ann Eshoo (D-CA) CRA Staff Space and Technology Subcommittee for achieving these goals and one that raised the issue of the disproportionate The House passed an appropriations bill on Science held the second of two NSF has a special role in nurturing. ratio of males to females on the NSB. June 29, giving the National Science hearings June 15 on NSF’s mission. In a white paper titled In Support of “Why is there only one woman on the Foundation an 11% increase for fiscal Subcommittee chair Rep. Rick Basic Research submitted for the record, National Science Board?” she bluntly 1994 (see Table 1). Boucher (D-VA) asked NSF officials for the NSB said: asked Duderstadt. The House Appropriations guidance in drafting legislation to “Basic research is not intended— Eshoo said she planned to send Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, reauthorize NSF. The agency’s five-year nor should it be expected—to advance President Clinton a letter on the Housing and Urban Development and authorization expires this year. A bill is short-term goals. Rather, it is an underrepresentation of women on the Independent Agencies decided on the expected to be introduced during a investment that, like education, takes board. Later this year, Clinton is increase during a markup on May 27. markup in mid-September. time to mature but has tremendous expected to appoint nine new members The appropriations package is now During the hearing, NSF’s acting practical payoffs in the long run. to the 22-member board. before a Senate appropriations director Frederick Bernthal and Assuring the knowledge base appropri- “We are acutely sensitive of the subcommittee. National Science Board (NSB) chair ate for economic growth, long-term job underrepresentation of women and The 11% increase falls short of the James Duderstadt reaffirmed that NSF creation and social well-being requires a minorities,” Duderstadt remarked. 18% increase NSF had originally should continue to focus on basic conscious commitment to strong and On a more general level, NSF requested for 1994. The 11% increase research and not substantially alter its consistent long-term support for basic submitted draft legislation to the would bring NSF’s total budget to $3.02 mission. research and education. Providing subcommittee that would authorize the billion, with $2.05 billion for research The administration wants NSF to requisite support for this process is a agency to promote women and other and related activities. The research broaden its mission to include more matter of strategic national importance.” underrepresented groups in the portion would increase by 10%. applied research. NSF officials claim In another discussion on NSF’s sciences.

Clinton, Congress offering GAO: NCIC easily abused more electronic information BY Juan Antonio Osuna CRA Staff BY Juan Antonio Osuna tronic networks, including Internet. The General Accounting Office made a statement before a House subcommit- CRA Staff “The development of public tee in late July about the abuse of National Crime Information Center (NCIC) President Clinton and Congress are electronic networks, such as the Internet, provides an additional way for databases. taking steps to make more federal NCIC is the nation’s largest computerized criminal justice information agencies to increase diversity of information available to the public system, consisting of 24 million records accessible by 500,000 people. It is information sources available to the electronically. On June 8, the president accessed daily by police at federal, state and local levels. public,” the 18-page circular said. approved and signed into law the On a request from Rep. Gary Condit (D-CA), GAO testified on NCIC Government Printing Office Electronic The government’s new effort to abuse before a joint meeting of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Information Access Enhancement Act offer electronic access has already and Constitutional Rights and the House Government Operations Subcom- of 1993. materialized in at least one agency—the mittee on Information, Justice, Transportation and Agriculture. The new law (L. 103-40) ensures Library of Congress. NCIC is not easily penetrated from the outside. However, because there is the public electronic access to: The Library of Congress has made no password authentication, NCIC is easily abused by insiders, GAO said. • the Federal Register, more than 28 million records in over 30 Most users of the system simply identify themselves and their agencies using files available through the Internet for • the Congressional Record, codes that are not kept secret. free. These files include all machine- The testimony documented one incident where a woman repeatedly • other publications distributed by readable cataloging files; copyright files, queried databases on behalf of her boyfriend, a drug dealer seeking thorough the superintendent of docu- 1978 to the present; public policy background checks on his potential clients. ments, citations, 1976 to the present; and Another typical scenario involved a corporation paying a private investi- • a directory of government federal bill status files. Both the gator to illicitly obtain NCIC records on job applicants. electronic information and technical processing/cataloging system In many cases, GAO said, law enforcement personnel misunderstood • information that other federal (MUMS) and the reference/retrieval agency policy. Dozens of cases have been reported in which background checks agencies specifically request to system (SCORPIO) will be searchable. are done on security guards and people seeking firearm, liquor or taxi permits. be made electronically available. To ensure that service to Congress NCIC is supposed to be used only for checking backgrounds on criminal justice Although GPO would grant federal and to on-site users is not degraded, the applicants. depository libraries free access to these system will be limited to 60 users at a “Penalties for such misuse have been limited to administrative sanctions, resources, it would charge the public time. However, the library may later such as written or oral reprimands, suspensions or termination of employ- enough to recover costs. The bill increase this limit. ment,” GAO officials testified. mandates that an on-line system be To connect to the Library of Witnesses at the hearing suggested that Congress should pass a law that operational within a year of the law’s Congress, telnet to locis.loc.gov. targets NCIC abuse and provides stiff penalties. Beyond that, GAO said, law enactment. The Library of Congress also enforcement agencies may need to be forced into adopting higher security The new law is based on two started a gopher server called LC mechanisms. identical bills introduced by Rep. MARVEL, offering menu-based access NCIC 2000, a proposed major upgrade, would provide security features Charlie Rose (D-NC) and Sen. Wendell to the cataloging files and federal such as encryption, access control and a knowledge-based intrusion detection Ford (D-KY) on March 11. databases at other agencies. A MAR- system. However, GAO warned that NCIC 2000 would still incorporate more In addition to the GPO law, the VEL gopher client can be reached by primitive systems maintained at the state level, which would preserve old Office of Management and Budget telneting to marvel.loc.gov. However, vulnerabilities. issued a revised Circular A-130 on July the library recommends that users To protect the information, state and federal agencies would have to make 2, directing agencies to make more provide their own clients, so as not to a coordinated effort to change their systems and policy, GAO said. information available through elec- overload the system.

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soon expanded to include efforts in both programming languages and Bill Roundup software engineering. In his approach to programming Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure and languages, Nico was concerned with Public Broadcasting Facilities Assistance Act of 1993 (HR technical, as well as aesthetic, aspects of 2639): languages and compilers. This led to his Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee work as an assistant professor in co- on Telecommunications and Finance, introduced a bill July 14 to promote the development of the national telecommunications and information infrastructure and inventing the systems implementation the construction and planning of public broadcasting facilities. language BLISS and in directing the The bill specifically offers matching grants to health-care providers, educational implementation of the Algol-60 institutions, research facilities, libraries, museums, state and local governments, and compiler for the PDP-10. Nico was other social service providers for expanding network and information infrastructure. capable of intensive and sustained Under the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure program, the Commerce Department would issue $51 million in grants for fiscal 1994 and such periods of concentration. His solutions sums as may be necessary for the next three years. to complex compiler problems were Telecommunications Drug Enforcement Act of 1993 (HR clean, simple and elegant. His taste and 1615): judgment in language design were Rep. Cardis Collins (D-IL), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee evident in his critique of Pascal. on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Competitiveness, introduced a bill April 1 A. Nico Habermann His work in the mid- to late 1970s allowing the government to bar a suspected drug dealer from using mobile radio on the FAMOS (Family of Operating Nico from Page 1 services. Systems) and on the DAS operating Electromagnetic Labeling Act of 1993 (HR 1982): Communications Research and system projects led to his interest in Rep. Leslie Byrne (D-VA) introduced a bill May 5 to establish labeling requirements Infrastructure; and Cross-Disciplinary software engineering. He realized that for products that create low-frequency electromagnetic fields. Activities. many of the problems faced in con- Emerging Telecommunications Technologies Act of 1993 Habermann also founded the structing large systems arose from the (S 335, HR 707): Software Engineering Institute. difficulties of getting multiple people to The House passed a bill March 2 to make at least 200 megahertz of the frequency A native of Amsterdam, Haber- effectively coordinate their activities spectrum available for commercial use in order to foster the development of new mann received his doctorate in applied over time. This led to Nico’s creation of communications technologies. On the Senate side, a similar bill was approved by the mathematics from the Technological Energy and Commerce Committee on May 25. the Gandalf project, which focused on Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced the University at Eindhoven, Netherlands. the generation of interactive, task- House bill on Feb. 2; Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) He earned his master’s and bachelor’s oriented software development introduced the Senate bill on Feb. 4. degrees in mathematics from Free environments. The project, which Both bills direct the Commerce Department to identify underused frequencies University in Amsterdam. spanned well over a decade, included allocated for federal use, then turn the frequencies over to the Federal Communica- Habermann was a member of the results in areas as diverse as software tions Commission so that they can be assigned for commercial use. Computer Science and Telecom- The key difference between the two versions is that the Senate bill directs the configuration management, syntax- FCC to assign frequencies to companies using competitive bidding. The House bill munications Board of the National directed editing, management of does not alter the current assignment process, which uses a lottery system. Academy of Sciences, adviser to the multiple views at the programming Telecommunications Policy Coordination Act of 1993 (HR Max Planck Institute in Germany and a language level and heuristic user 1613): member of the New York Academy of interfaces. Rep. Cardis Collins (D-IL) introduced a bill April 1 to establish an Office of Telecom- Sciences. He also was editor of the In 1989 his 20 doctoral students munications Policy within the Executive Office. The director of this office would Institute of Electrical and Electronics honored Nico as part of the CMU establish an advisory committee. Engineers’ Transactions on Software Computer Science Department’s 25th Department of Science, Space, Energy and Technology Engineering. anniversary. Collectively, we recalled an Organization Act of 1993 (HR 1300): Below, several of Habermann’s adviser who took great interest in our Rep. Robert Walker (R-PA), ranking minority member of the Science, Space and colleagues pay tribute to him. ideas, who spent the time necessary to Technology Committee, introduced a bill March 10 to establish a cabinet-level guide us in our explorations and who Department of Science, Space, Energy and Technology. David Notkin and Larry Snyder had the highest expectations for our In order to streamline government and reduce duplication of research, Walker Department of Computer proposed consolidating many agencies into a single department that would include the Science and Engineering, Univer- intellectual goals and writing. There was National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Environmental Protection sity of Washington wide consensus that we sought to Agency, the Energy Department, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Nico came to CMU in 1968 after emulate his advisory style with our own the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science completing his dissertation under the students. At the time we had directly or Foundation. direction of Edsgar Dijkstra on the indirectly graduated more than 50 Commission on the Advancement of Women in the Science “THE Operating System.” His research Ph.D.s. This list will, of course, continue and Engineering Work Forces Act (HR 467): interests continued to include operating to grow over the years, representing just Rep. Constance Morella (R-MD) introduced a bill Jan. 6 to establish a commission to systems issues, especially concurrency one part of Nico’s legacy. help overcome low representation of women in the sciences. The 17-member commission would track representation of women in the science control mechanisms such as P&V, but Continued on Page 13 work forces, study policies and practices of government and industry and recommend changes. Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act (HR 1900): Recently released reports Rep. Pat Williams (D-MT) introduced a bill April 28 to prevent abuses of electronic monitoring in the workplace. Promoting High-Performance Computing and Communication: a Congressional Budget The legislation requires employers to notify employees and new hirees when and Office report that examines the federal government’s role in spurring commercial where electronic monitoring will occur, as well as what kind of information will be development of HPCC technologies. Copies may be requested at tel. 202-226-2809. collected and how it will be used. Under the legislation, employees have the right to review data collected on them Advanced Network Technology: a background paper (OTA-BP-TCT-101), released by after the employer completes the investigation. The bill prohibits monitoring in the congressional Office of Technology Assessment, that provides an overview of bathrooms, locker rooms and dressing rooms. network technology trends and federal programs that support research in high-speed Individual Privacy Protection Act of 1993 (HR 135): networks. Copies may be requested at tel. 202-783-3238. Rep. Cardis Collins (D-IL), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Competitiveness, introduced a bill Jan. 5 to Science, Technology and the Federal Government: This National Academy of Sciences establish an Individual Privacy Protection Board. report gives a broad overview of the federal government’s role in science. Copies may Copyright Reform Act of 1993 (HR 897): be requested at tel. 202-334-2424. Rep. William Hughes (D-NJ), chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and Judicial Administration, introduced a bill Feb. 16 to overhaul High-Performance Computing: Advanced Research Projects Agency Should Do More to copyright law. Foster Program Goals: A General Accounting Office report (GAO/IMTEC-93-24) Current law requires plaintiffs to have registered works with the US Copyright criticizing ARPA for its procurement practices, its narrow focus on hardware and Office before they can sue for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees. The bill seeks to repeal this law so owners who have failed to register works can still sue for damages. other problems. Copies may be requested at tel. 202-512-6000. Technology Transfer Improvements Act of 1993 (HR 523): Technology Policy Initiatives in the Clinton–Gore Administration: A Congressional Rep. Constance Morella (R-MD) introduced a bill Jan. 21 that would allow the federal Research Service report on the administration’s technology policies. Requests for Continued on Page 12 copies should be directed to a local representative or senator.

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Table 3. ASTA Budget (in millions of dollars) HPCC budget details released Fiscal 92 Fiscal 93 Fiscal 94 The Clinton administration released in June the budget details for the federal High- Agency Actual Estimated Requested Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program. ARPA 38.5 49.7 58.7 The proposed fiscal 1994 budget of $1.1 billion for HPCC would make it the NSF 98.2 108.0 140.0 most significant federal program for computer science and computer engineering DOE 58.0 65.3 75.1 researchers. Among the 10 federal agencies that participate in HPCC, the National NASA 48.1 59.1 74.2 Science Foundation and the Advanced Research Projects Agency are the major NSA 9.0 5.4 7.6 players. NIH 28.0 31.4 26.2 Table 1 shows 1994 funding levels for agencies participating in the program. NOAA 9.4 9.4 10.5 Tables 2 through 5 show agency funding levels for each of the five HPCC compo- EPA 4.3 6.0 9.6 nents. A new proposed component of HPCC is Information Infrastructure Technol- Education Ð Ð Ð ogy and Applications. In 1994, $36 million has been requested for NSF, $12 million NIST 0.6 0.6 0.6 for NASA, $24 million for the National Institutes of Health and $24 million for the Total 294.1 334.9 402.5 National Institute of Standards and Technology, for a total of $96 million. Table 1. HPCC Budgets by Agency (in millions of dollars) Table 4. NREN Budget (in millions of dollars) Fiscal 92 Fiscal 93 Fiscal 94 Fiscal 92 Fiscal 93 Fiscal 94 Agency Actual Estimated Requested Agency Actual Estimated Requested ARPA 232.2 275.0 343.0 ARPA 32.9 43.6 60.8 NSF 200.2 225.2 341.0 NSF 32.0 40.5 57.6 DOE 93.0 101.0 123.8 DOE 12.0 10.0 16.8 NASA 70.3 82.1 123.0 NASA 7.2 9.0 13.2 NSA 47.7 43.6 41.7 NSA 3.8 3.2 11.2 NIH 41.3 46.5 71.1 NIH 3.5 4.1 6.1 NOAA 9.8 9.8 12.4 NOAA 0.4 0.4 1.6 EPA 5.0 7.9 11.9 EPA 0.0 0.4 0.7 Education 1.0 2.0 2.0 Education 1.0 2.0 2.0 NIST 2.1 2.1 26.1 NIST 1.2 1.2 1.2 Total 702.6 795.2 1,096.0 Total 94.0 114.4 171.2

Table 2. HPCS Budget (in millions of dollars) Table 5. BRHR Budget (in millions of dollars) Fiscal 92 Fiscal 93 Fiscal 94 Fiscal 92 Fiscal 93 Fiscal 94 Agency Actual Estimated Requested Agency Actual Estimated Requested ARPA 103.3 119.5 151.8 ARPA 57.5 62.2 71.7 NSF 23.7 25.9 34.2 NSF 46.3 50.8 73.2 DOE 15.0 10.9 10.9 DOE 8.0 14.8 21.0 NASA 14.1 11.1 20.1 NASA 0.9 2.9 3.5 NSA 34.8 34.8 22.7 NSA 0.1 0.2 0.2 NIH 3.0 3.0 6.5 NIH 6.8 8.0 8.3 NOAA Ð Ð Ð NOAA 0.0 0.0 0.3 EPA Ð Ð Ð EPA 0.7 1.5 1.6 Education Ð Ð Ð Education Ð Ð Ð NIST 0.3 0.3 0.3 NIST Ð Ð Ð Total 194.2 205.5 246.5 Total 120.3 140.4 179.8

Bill roundup from Page 11 National Network Security Board Act of 1993 (S 237): Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD) introduced a bill Jan. 27 to create a National Network Security government to copyright software in certain cases where it developed software, at least in Board within the Federal Communications Commission, for monitoring and investigating part, under a cooperative R&D agreement specified by the Stevenson-Wydler Technology disruptions in long-distance and local telephone systems. Innovation Act of 1980. The bill also allows the government to grant copyrights to private businesses that Telecommunications Network Security and Reliability Reporting “publicly perform or display computer software throughout the world by or on behalf of the Act of 1993 (S 238): government.” Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD) introduced another bill Jan. 27 that would require the Federal Technology Education Assistance Act of 1993 (HR 2728): Communications Commission to report annually on the security of the nation’s telecommu- Rep. Thomas C. Sawyer (D-OH) introduced a bill July 23, authorizing a grant program to nications networks. improve the use of technology in schools at all levels. The bill provides grants for state and DOE National Competitiveness Technology Partnership Act of local educational agencies, establishes an Educational Technology Council within the 1993 (S 473): Education Department and supports regional R&D. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources approved a bill May 26 to link Buddy System Computer Education Act (HR 1902): Energy Department laboratories with private sector laboratories. Rep. Jill Long (D-IN) introduced a bill April 28 to award grants for computer-based Introduced by committee chair Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA) on March 2, the bill education projects. The Education Department would select three states and award grants on implements a National Information Infrastructure program by amending the High-Perfor- a competitive basis for children in grades six through eight. The money would be used to mance Computing Act of 1991. It creates a coordinated interagency program that would provide hardware, software and training for teachers. develop partnerships, deploy information technologies and educate people on how to use Technology Education Assistance Act of 1993 (HR 89): them. Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), chair of the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Electronic Library Act of 1993 (S 626): Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education, introduced a bill Jan. 5 to improve the use Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) introduced a bill March 22 to establish state-based electronic of technology in schools. libraries. The National Science Foundation, in consultation with the Education Department, The bill authorizes $500 million in fiscal 1993 for elementary and secondary schools to the Commerce Department, the Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Library of improve the use of computer, video and telecommunications technologies. Congress would issue grants to states for developing electronic libraries. Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Act (HR 1151, The bill authorizes $10 million for fiscal 1994, $25 million for 1995 and such sums as may be necessary for 1996 and each fiscal year thereafter. S 266): Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) and Rep. Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced identical bills on Jan. 28 and Library of Congress Fund Act of 1993 (S 345): Feb. 25 respectively to establish a Division of Library Media Services within the Education The Senate Committee on Rules approved a bill May 26 to allow the Library of Congress to Department, and establish three programs for infusing school libraries with better technology. sell information products and services. Introduced by Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) on Feb. 4, the bill authorizes the Library of Telecommunications Infrastructure Act of 1993 (S 1086): Congress to charge users for the “search of databases” and “electronic access to the contents Sen. John Danforth (R-MO) introduced a bill June 9 to enhance the development of the of the collections,” among other products and services. national telecommunications infrastructure by fostering competition. Technology for Education Act of 1993 (S 1040): The bill pre-empts any state or local laws governing the telecommunications industry; Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced a bill May 27 to enhance the use of new technologies forces telecommunications providers to sell services on a nondiscriminatory basis without any in education and to sustain a technologically literate work force. restrictions on the customer reselling those services; allows the FCC to set telecommunica- The bill creates an Office of Educational Technology within the Education Department tions standards; allows cable companies to offer telecommunications services only if provided that would offer grants and loans to state, local and private organizations for advancing through a subsidiary; and allows telephone companies to offer video or other information services only if provided through a subsidiary. Continued on Page 16

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Nico from Page 11 Board meeting from Page 6 distributed to faculty in dues-paying departments. The board feels that CRA William A. Wulf president’s science adviser, the NSF director, the head of ARPA and the has become established with Ph.D.- Chair of the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board granting CS&E departments, but we Nico Habermann was, quite simply, one of the finest human beings that I have ever Defense Department’s Defense Research and Engineering director. are still in a start-up mode with known. Others will remember Nico for his scientific achievements. But he and I industrial laboratories and non-Ph.D. arrived at CMU within a few months of each other and we worked together for 25 • CRA sent a letter to the National Science Board saying that the departments. Hence, if you are at a years. My strongest memories are of his integrity, his loyalty and his deep sense of service. Ph.D.-granting institution, you will only Whether the issue was treatment of an individual student at CMU or national time is ripe for someone to show leadership in setting the new science receive CRN in 1994 if your depart- science policy at NSF, one of Nico’s first concerns was doing things morally and ment is a 1993-94 dues-paying member ethically. His loyalty to his many students, as well as his family and friends, was policy, and that NSB members, as presidential appointees, are in an ideal of CRA. If you suspect your department legend; he always had the time, the energy and the wisdom to do what was needed. is not a dues-paying member, you might His service at NSF was just the latest of the personal sacrifices he made on behalf of position to do this. We said CRA would be happy to help NSB with this contact your chair to see why. A paid the computing community. subscription to CRN is available to All of us whose lives were touched by him are richer for it, and we will miss him deeply. important task. The second day started with a few people in departments that are not Fred W. Weingarten mundane items such as approving the dues-paying members. Executive Director of the Computing Research Association minutes and the budget. Following are • An ad hoc committee was Nico Habermann came to NSF in 1991. It must have been a difficult choice. Asking highlights of the rest of the meeting: created to come up with recommenda- a highly respected researcher and educator to leave the satisfactions of campus life to • SIAM was added as an affiliated tions concerning the supply and spend a few years working in the labyrinths of Washington science policy may seem professional society of CRA, joining demand of CS&E Ph.D. recipients. We like asking a fish to volunteer a few years in the desert. But Nico was strongly ACM and AAAI. If the IEEE Computer hope to have an initial report at the committed to advancing the computing research field. Society decides to join, as we fervently next board meeting in December. The years he has spent here were fruitful and challenging ones. Computing hope, then CRA will have official • The board unanimously passed a research has been receiving greater political attention and support, and CISE relationships with all the major CS&E motion commending Fred (Rick) W. programs prospered comparatively well under his guidance. But political attention is associations involved in CS&E Weingarten for doing an outstanding demanding. As the NSF assistant director for CISE, Nico found himself playing an research. job as executive director of CRA. Not important leadership role in making and justifying computing research programs. In • Changes to CRA bylaws were only do board members who are also networking, he had to manage the extraordinary growth of the NSFnet and the adopted to clean up some sexist members of other societies say we are transition of the program to one with much broader public concern over the national language and to codify changes made to lucky to have Rick, but members of information infrastructure. He had to ensure that broad support of basic computing the election procedures. Congress are telling us as well. research was maintained in the face of political demands for shorter-term economic • The start-up plan for Computing The meeting closed by setting impacts. Research News was to distribute it to dates for the next two board meetings: Nancy Leveson, chair of CRA’s Committee on the Status of Women, said, “Nico members of all CS&E departments, December 9–10 in San Francisco and was a great friend of women in computing research.” At NSF, he strongly supported with the assumption that once CRA July 9–10 at Snowbird, UT. (The CRA programs to identify and break down barriers and to encourage greater participation was established, CRN would only be Conference at Snowbird is July 10–12.) by women in the field. In his keynote address at a recent NSF-funded symposium for female students in computing, he reiterated his commitment to a goal of 45% female Systers from Page 5 than in telling us what we need, then enrollment in graduate computing programs within ten years. sexism in our society, our field and our such a forum could be a fruitful and On all of these topics and more, Nico became an increasingly persuasive and productive sibling for systers. articulate spokesperson for the field. He never stopped nudging us as a community to consciousness that limits us all. If men do more, to show more interest in policy and to speak more effectively. NSF, the work together with women in an open Anita Borg is a consultant engineer at Washington science policy community and the entire computing research commu- forum and are seriously interested in Digital Equipment Corp.’s Network nity have lost an important leader and good friend. hearing what women have to say rather Systems Laboratory in Palo Alto, CA.

Morgan Kaufmann ad

Page 13 COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS September 1993

Professional Opportunities

development; 2) intelligent systems and USC is an affirmative action, equal informatics, including computer vision, opportunity employer and encourages and artificial neural network-based systems, welcomes applications from women and CRN Advertising Policy manufacturing and discrete-event systems; minorities. Send copy and payment for Professional Opportunities advertisements to automatic factory control; and intelligent control systems. University of Massachusetts, Advertising Coordinator, Computing Research News, 1875 Connecticut Ave. The department offers M.S. and Ph.D. Amherst NW, Suite 718, Washington, DC 20009. Tel. 202-234-2111; fax: 202-667- programs in electrical engineering, Department of Computer Science 1066; E-mail: [email protected]. E-mail submissions are preferred. computer engineering and computing The Department of Computer Science The format of an ad must conform to the following: 1) the first line must sciences and an ABET-accredited under- invites applications for tenure-track faculty contain the name of the university or organization and will be printed in bold, graduate program in electrical and positions at the assistant and associate 2) the second line must contain the name of the department or unit and will computer engineering. The department has levels and research-track faculty and be printed in italics and 3) the body of the ad should be in paragraph form. 30 full-time faculty, 200 graduate students postdoctoral positions at all levels and in all The words in the first two lines are included in the total word count for the ad. and 400 undergraduates; it graduates 35 areas of computer science. Applicants Headings or text requested in all uppercase or bold will be set in bold and will master’s and 15 Ph.D. recipients per year. should have a doctorate in computer Candidates should have an earned count as two words. science or related area and should show doctorate in electrical engineering, evidence of exceptional research promise. The rate is $2 per word (US currency). A check or money order (please do computer engineering or computer science. Senior level candidates should have a not send cash) must accompany the ad copy. Purchase orders are acceptable. Send curriculum vitae and the names of five record of distinguished research. Salary is All CRA members receive at least 200 free words per dues year. references to Professor Vik J. Kapoor, commensurate with education and Professional Opportunity display ads cost $30 per column inch. The ad Department Head, Electrical and Computer experience. must be submitted in camera ready, offset (positives or negatives) or mechani- Engineering Department, University of Our department has grown substan- cal form. Please call for information on placing display ads for products or Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0030. tially over the past five years and currently services. E-mail: [email protected]. has 32 tenure-track faculty, eight research Computing Research News is published five times per year: in January, The university is an affirmative action, faculty, about 10 postdoctoral research equal opportunity employer and encourages March, May, September and November. Professional Opportunities ads with scientists and 180 graduate students. applications from women and minorities. Continued growth is expected over the next application deadlines falling within the month of publication will not be five years. We have ongoing research accepted. (An ad published in the November issue must show an application Purdue University projects in robotics, vision, natural language deadline of Dec. 1 or later.) Advertising copy must be received at least one Department of Computer Sciences processing, machine learning, month before publication. (The deadline for the November issue is Oct. 1.) We have more than 38 faculty members in connectionism, expert systems, distributed operating systems, networks, programming problem solving, human–computer languages, database systems, robotics, interfaces, distributed processing, database Oregon State University month position include an earned doctorate software engineering, solid modeling, systems, information retrieval, operating Department of Computer Science in computer science, information systems or supercomputing, theory and numerical systems, object-oriented systems, software The Department of Computer Science, a closely related field; credentials commen- analysis. We invite applications at all engineering, real-time systems, real-time Oregon State University, anticipates one or surate with a tenured faculty appointment professorial levels in any area of computer software development and analysis, more openings for tenure-track assistant, at the full professor level; outstanding science, with some preference for people in programming languages, computer associate or full professors, to start in interpersonal skills; demonstrated teaching systems and software. networks, theory of computation, parallel September 1993 or thereafter. Specialization excellence; and a strong commitment to The department affords great computation, computer architecture and in software engineering or computer equal opportunity and diversity. Successful opportunities for people who want to get medical informatics (with the University of graphics is desirable, but all qualified administrative, grantsmanship and involved in exciting research. Each faculty Massachusetts Medical School). applicants will be considered. industrial experiences and a history of member has access to the departmental The department recently established a Applicants should have completed or involvement in both computer science and computing facilities (many Sun file and national center (CRICCS) for research on expect to complete all requirements for a information systems are desirable. The compute servers, a 64-processor Ncube 2 real-time, intelligent complex computing doctorate in computer science or a closely successful candidate should have a history and many workstations), to the computing systems that includes a major project related field and should have demonstrated of promotion and tenure based on center’s Cyber 205, ETA-10 and Intel iPSC/ (Project Pilgrim) with Digital Equipment research and teaching potential. Candidates evaluation of performance as a regular 860 supercomputers, and to national Corp. on distributed, heterogeneous for senior positions should have established teaching faculty member. computer networks. networks; an NSF/CII award in the area of research reputations. The department is located in the You must have, or be about to receive, computer vision, distributed artificial To apply for these positions, send a College of Computing Sciences and a doctorate (or equivalent experience) in intelligence and real-time systems; a four- complete resume, statement of research Engineering and offers degree programs computer science or a related discipline. year state/industry/university center interests and at least three sealed letters of through the master’s level. The under- Salary is competitive and depends on working on intelligent information retrieval reference to Faculty Search Committee, graduate computer science program is background and experience. Submit resume and an ARPA/NSF/industry-sponsored Department of Computer Science, Oregon CSAB accredited. There are about 500 CIS and names of references by March 1 to activity in autonomous real-time systems in State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-3202. majors. Chair, Personnel Committee, Department flexible manufacturing. Application by electronic mail is acceptable UNF is nationally known for excellent of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, To support our research, we have an and may be sent to [email protected]. undergraduate and graduate programs. The West Lafayette, IN 47907. extensive research computer facility, Review of applications began July 1, undergraduate and graduate student body Purdue University is an equal including more than 200 Sun, VAXStation, but positions will remain open until of UNF numbers just under 10,000. An opportunity, affirmative action employer. DECStation and TI Explorer workstations, selections have been made. Women and urban university, UNF is among the most numerous servers; two Sequent Balance minorities are particularly encouraged to selective public universities in the nation. University of Southern California multiprocessors; a Kendall Square Research apply. UNF is a member of the State University Electrical Engineering-Systems KSR 1-64 parallel processor; a 4,096-node Oregon State University is an equal System of Florida and is located on a 1,000- Department Connection Machine; a variety of graphics opportunity, affirmative action employer acre campus in Jacksonville, a metropolitan The Electrical Engineering-Systems devices; both Salisbury and Utah/MIT and complies with Section 504 of the area with a population of almost 1 million. Department invites applications for several robotic hands; several Denning mobile Rehabilitation Act of 1973. OSU has a Send nominations and applications, tenure-track positions. Preference will be robots; and a real-time testbed. policy of being responsive to the needs of including a resume and references, to Dr. given to senior-level applicants who have Send a letter with your curriculum dual-career couples. Layne Wallace, Committee Chair, Chair’s demonstrated leadership ability in building vitae to Chair of Faculty Recruiting, Search Committee, Department of CIS, a strong research program and who also Department of Computer Science, University of North Florida University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns have a distinguished teaching and research University of Massachusetts, Lederle Department of Computer and Bluff Road S., Jacksonville, FL 32224. Tel. record. Areas of interest include communi- Graduate Research Center, Amherst, MA Information Sciences 904-646-2985; fax: 904-646-2988; Bitnet: cation networks for multimedia applications 01003. Please specify whether you are The University of North Florida (UNF) [email protected]; Internet: with an emphasis on the lower layers of the applying for a tenure-track or non-tenure- invites applications and nominations for [email protected]. The OSI network model (physical, link protocol track (research or postdoctoral) position. chair of the Department of Computer and application deadline is Oct. 15. and routing/signaling aspects); statistical Review of vitae begins Feb. 1, 1994, and Information Sciences. The chair is Provisions of Florida’s Government in communication and/or signal processing continues until available positions are filled. the Sunshine and Public Records Law are responsible for providing leadership, algorithms and their VLSI implementation; Positions available subject to funding. applicable. UNF is an affirmative action, direction and articulation, where appropri- and computer-aided design for digital The university is an affirmative action, equal access, equal opportunity employer. ate, in the development of academic systems. equal opportunity employer. programs and priorities; assignment of We also invite applications for tenure- University of Cincinnati track assistant professors in the area of Lehigh University teaching and academic counseling Department of Electrical and responsibilities; application of grievance intelligent control with emphasis on Department of Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering processes; development and management of intelligent vehicles and highways. and Computer Science Applications are solicited for tenure-track budgets; allocation of departmental Applications must include a compre- The Department of Electrical Engineering positions at all ranks in the Electrical and resources; and recruitment and recommen- hensive resume, a list of three to five and Computer Science at Lehigh University Computer Engineering Department starting professional references and a letter of dation of faculty salaries. The chair is seeks applicants in networking and software in September 1994. The following areas are interest clearly indicating the position expected to participate in instructional systems for a tenure-track computer science of special interest: 1) computer system designated above for which you are responsibilities. The chair serves as the faculty position. Candidates must have a design; parallel and distributed computing; applying. Please send material to Chair, EE- official representative of the department to doctorate in computer science or electrical operating systems; databases; architecture; Systems Search Committee, EE-Systems internal and external entities. engineering with appropriate networking computation theory; VLSI systems design, Department, USC, Los Angeles, CA background. We require a strong commit- Minimum qualifications for this 12- test and verification; and VLSI CAD tool 90089-2560. ment to teaching and evidence of innova-

Page 14 September 1993 COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS

Professional Opportunities tive research through journal publications. Polytechnic University university building in Brooklyn that is part The UMBC Campus has 10,000 Preference will be given to junior faculty, Department of Computer Science of the 16-acre MetroTech development of students and is joined at the graduate level but we would consider senior faculty with Applications are invited for three positions buildings for academic, research and with the University of Maryland at an impressive record of publication and in computer science: a CS coordinator at commercial activities. As a result of the Baltimore (UMAB), located a few miles funding in the fields of interest. the Farmingdale campus, a senior faculty university’s favorable location, faculty and away in downtown Baltimore. The resulting The department has an expanding member and an industry assistant professor. students enjoy close interaction with major University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate Computer Science Division with excellent The coordinator will be expected to companies in the financial, telecommunica- School has a strong research program with facilities. It offers B.A., B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. guide and develop the academic, research tions and computer industries. over $100 million per year in external degrees in computer science. Lehigh and administrative activities in computer Polytechnic University (formerly research funding and includes Maryland’s University has a 127-year history of science at Polytechnic’s suburban known as Brooklyn Poly) is a private medical, law and dental schools. UMBC is excellence in engineering and technology Farmingdale campus on Long Island, NY. technological urban university established located in the Baltimore–Washington indicated by high national rankings. The The coordinator will be a member of the in 1854. It is located on three campuses in corridor, providing easy access to both university is located on an attractive 1,600- faculty with opportunity for teaching as well the New York City metropolitan area. The metropolitan areas and to numerous federal acre mountainside campus in Bethlehem, as research. Leadership and interpersonal main campus is in downtown Brooklyn agencies, industrial research centers and PA, close to the Pocono Mountains and skills are essential for this position. adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, one of New consulting firms. within easy reach of Philadelphia and New The senior faculty member will be York’s desirable residential communities. Your application, including a curricu- York City. expected to help develop, in concert with Two suburban campuses are located in lum vitae and three letters of reference, Candidates should send a curriculum current faculty, an active and strong group Farmingdale, on Long Island, and in should be sent to Faculty Search, Computer vitae and at least three references to Dr. in one of the following areas: compilers, Hawthorne, in Westchester County. The Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore Alastair McAulay, Chair and Chandler computer architecture, databases, operating university has an enrollment of about 3,500 MD 21228-5398. Tel. 410-455-3000; fax: Weaver Professor, Faculty Search Commit- systems, parallel and distributed systems, students. 410-455-3969. Send E-mail to search- tee, Department of Electrical Engineering programming languages or software Qualified applicants should send their [email protected] for additional informa- and Computer Science, Lehigh University, engineering. Candidates must have a strong curriculum vitae to Chair of the Search tion and to [email protected] for 19 Memorial Drive W., Bethlehem, PA research record including significant Committee, Professor Richard Van Slyke, general inquiries. 18015. Send E-mail to publications and the demonstrated ability to Department of Computer Science UMBC is an affirmative action, equal [email protected] for further informa- secure external funds through grants or Polytechnic University, Six MetroTech opportunity employer. tion about the department. Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Tel. 718-260- contracts. Oregon Graduate Institute of Lehigh University is an affirmative The industry assistant professor will be 3186; E-mail: [email protected]. action, equal opportunity employer. Women expected to teach both undergraduate and Evaluation of candidates will begin Science and Technology and minorities are encouraged to apply. graduate classes in such areas as computer immediately and continue until the search Department of Computer Science architecture, operating systems and is complete. and Engineering Northeastern University programming. The candidate should have Polytechnic is an equal opportunity The Oregon Graduate Institute of Science Department of Electrical and an outstanding teaching record. employer. and Technology (OGI) seeks a head for its Computer Engineering Applicants for all positions must have rapidly growing Department of Computer The Department of Electrical and a Ph.D. degree. University of Pennsylvania Science and Engineering (CSE). Applica- Computer Engineering at Northeastern The Department of Computer Department of Computer and tions are invited from individuals who have University in Boston seeks tenure-track Science, which offers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. Information Science research interests consonant with those of faculty in computer engineering with degrees, is located in the School of The University of Pennsylvania invites the department, a distinguished record of specializations in software engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer outstanding applicants for junior tenure- scholarly productivity, a strongly funded computer architecture, parallel computing Science. The department currently has 15 track faculty positions, with senior positions research program and solid evidence of and VLSI systems design. tenure-track faculty members. Its under- possibly being available as well. Appoint- leadership ability. The ECE department currently has 45 graduate program is accredited by CSAB, ments are to start July 1, 1994. Current department research includes full-time faculty, two nationally and and in 1992 it awarded 95 M.S. degrees and Because the appointment process programs in functional programming internationally recognized research centers nine Ph.D. degrees. Areas of active research tends to take a minimum of two to three languages, formal methods for software and a large and expanding graduate include computational biology; computa- months, interviews will be conducted in design and development, high-performance program. Expansive opportunities for tional geometry; image analysis and early 1994. Applications must be received computing, database and operating systems, research exist due to one of the highest understanding; large distributed databases; on or prior to Jan. 10 in order to be assured neural networks and spoken-language concentrations of high technology in the network management; parallel, distributed full consideration. understanding systems. nation. and randomized algorithms; parallel and Faculty duties include both under- OGI is a private, graduate-only A doctorate in electrical engineering, distributed systems and architecture; graduate and graduate teaching, as well as institution offering M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. computer engineering, computer science or pattern recognition; and software reliability research. We are looking to complement It is located in the greater Portland related field is required. Previous academic and testing. existing research strengths in computer metropolitan area, about 12 miles west of or industrial experience is preferred. Salary The department’s active research graphics and animation, natural language downtown. The CSE department currently and rank are commensurate with experi- program is supported in part by faculty processing, computer vision, robotics, has 17 faculty, 110 matriculated students ence. grants from NSF and other agencies, computational biology, programming and sponsored research in excess of $4 Send resumes to John G. Proakis, industry, and the Center for Applied Large- languages, databases, logic and computa- million per year. Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineer- Scale Computing, which participates in the tion, high-performance computer networks, We intend to fill this position by July 1, ing, 309 Dana Research Building, North- Consortium for International Earth artificial intelligence, real-time computing 1994. To apply, send curriculum vitae with eastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Sciences Information Network. The and distributed systems. names and addresses of five references to Boston, MA 02115. department recently moved into a new Applications, including the names of Dr. James J. Huntzicker, Provost, Oregon at least three references, should be sent to Graduate Institute, P.O. Box 91000, Chair, Faculty Search Committee, Portland, OR 97291-1000. E-mail: Department of Computer and Information [email protected]. Science, University of Pennsylvania, 200 OGI is an equal opportunity, affirma- South 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104- tive action employer. Qualified women, 6389. minorities and people with disabilities are The University of Pennsylvania is an encouraged to apply. affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. University of South Carolina College of Science and Mathematics University of Maryland, The University of South Carolina, Baltimore County Columbia, invites applications and Department of Computer Science nominations for the position of dean of The Department of Computer Science of the College of Science and Mathematics. the University of Maryland, Baltimore The dean of the College of Science and County (UMBC) invites applications for Mathematics is responsible for administer- several tenure-track openings at the level of ing the college’s budget of about $17.5 assistant professor. We are particularly million in state funding and $21 million in interested in candidates in architecture, outside support. The college consists of computer networks, software engineering, seven departments and several institutes. operating systems, databases, parallel and Applicants should send a letter of distributed processing, and scientific application and a complete resume to Dr. computation. Senior applicants with an Ralph E. White, Chair of the Science and exceptional record of research and teaching Mathematics Dean Search Committee, also may be considered. Department of Chemical Engineering, The department consists of 16 full- Swearingen Engineering Center 2C13, time faculty and 24 adjunct faculty. We University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC offer B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 29208. Tel. 803-777-6060; fax: 803-777- computer science and have about 130 8265. graduate and 700 undergraduate students. The University of South Carolina is an The department has just moved into a new equal opportunity employer and specifically building and has completely renewed its invites and encourages applications from computational facilities. women and minorities.

Page 15 COMPUTING R ESEARCH N EWS September 1993

People in the News

Traub receives CRA award 1993 ITAC winners named The Computing Research Association is pleased to name Joseph F. Traub as BY Douglas Powell design, fabricate and characterize new the recipient of the 1992 Award for Service to Computing Research. Traub Two pioneers in microelectronics have types of sensors. He also has successfully applied his received his award at the Federated Computing Research Conference in May. received the 1993 ITAC/NSERC research to commercial ventures. His This award was made in recognition of his dedicated leadership and extensive awards for their original contributions pioneering work on CCD image sensors service to the field, and particularly acknowledged his invaluable contribution to the field of information technology. formed the basis for the launch of Dalsa Savvas G. Chamberlain, of the Depart- as first chair of the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the Inc., a Waterloo, Ontario-based ment of Electrical and Computer National Research Council. Traub served as the board’s chair from 1986 to manufacturer of sensors for applications Engineering at the University of 1992. in photography, astronomy and Under Traub’s leadership, CSTB established itself as a leading policy voice Waterloo, and Adel Sedra, former chair computer vision. Beginning in 1980 as a for the computing research community. The board’s studies and reports have of the Department of Electrical and two-person consultancy, Dalsa now has covered a range of issues including systems security, information infrastructure, Computer Engineering and now vice more than 60 employees engaged in human resources, competitiveness and management of the High-Performance president and provost at the University manufacturing and marketing. Computing and Communications program. Traub also managed two expan- of Toronto, were each presented with a Sedra is a renowned researcher and sions of the board, which broadened its scope to include computational science $50,000 award in Ottawa earlier this teacher who has made significant and telecommunications, as well as computer science and computer engineering. year on behalf of the Information contributions in the field of communi- The final report prepared under his stewardship, Computing The Future, Technology Association of Canada cations systems. His work on the theory provided an overview of the state of computing research and the key issues (ITAC) and the Natural Sciences and and design of electronic filters has facing the field. That report stimulated an important debate in the research Engineering Research Council significantly advanced the field of signal community, and it presaged much of the current public discussion of govern- (NSERC). processing. ment science and technology policy. Chamberlain has gained interna- His software package for filter tional recognition for his fundamental design is used in more than 30 compa- work on semiconductor devices and nies and universities. Author of more large-scale integrated circuits. Educated than 130 papers, his book Microelec- Lane named as NSF director at London’s Northern Polytechnic and tronic Circuits is the standard teaching President Clinton nominated Neal F. Lane on July 13 to head the National Science at Southampton University where he text in 150 universities worldwide. Foundation. Provost and physics professor from Rice University, Lane is expected to completed his graduate studies in Sedra’s contributions to engineering be a defender of basic research. electronics, the 52-year-old Chamber- education have been recognized by a Playing a key role in the decision to nominate Lane was presidential science lain is a pioneer in the development of number of awards, and he was instru- adviser John Gibbons, who said the administration avoided industrial candidates, charge transfer theory applied in mental in the creation and continuing instead opting for someone with basic research experience. charge-coupled devices (CCDs), image operations of the Information Technol- The Senate will hold hearings on Lane’s nomination this fall. NSF officials hope ogy Research Center. sensors, solid-state photodetectors, and he will be confirmed by Oct. 1. “I’m an electronics circuit designer MOSFET (self-scanned optical image A specialist in theoretical atomic physics, Lane has been involved with both who has worked on a variety of circuits, sensor) devices. He has published more “big” and “small” science; he has worked with teams of students and on the Super- both theory and design techniques,” than 100 papers and holds more than conducting Super Collider, a $10 billion project. Sedra said. “All of them share the 15 patents and patents pending on Lane serves on the Blue Ribbon Panel on High-Performance Computing, formed attribute that they are used in telecom- CCDs, integrated circuits, optical by NSF to evaluate technological trends and priorities. munications applications. That’s my imaging devices and solid-state In 1984, Lane led an advisory committee that designed a network of NSF special contribution to information scanners. supercomputing centers. He later served on an advisory committee for the congres- technology.” In 1990, Chamberlain was elected sional Office of Technology Assessment and wrote the report One of his most notable innova- From Grade School to Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Grad School. tions is his work on electronic filters, an Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his important component in telecommuni- He served as provost for Rice University since 1986, after having been the contributions in CCD imagers and cations and other electronics systems. Chancellor of the University of Colorado for two years. In 1979 and 1980, he served MOSFETs. The following year, he was He began in the early days of passive as the director of NSF’s Physics Division. Prior to that, he taught physics for 20 years. awarded the first Microelectronics filters and then moved on to active Lane earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Fellowship from NCR Canada Ltd.’s filters. Later, his research focused on Oklahoma. engineering and manufacturing switched-capacitor filters, which are operation in Waterloo in recognition of fully integrated networks on one his outstanding contributions to new integrated-circuit chip. “These circuits Directors named to NIST, DR&E silicon technology applied to contact have tremendous advantages in terms Arati Prabhakar has been confirmed as the director of the National Institute of image sensor devices. He is an active of costs, reliability and reduced size,” Standards and Technology. The first woman to hold the post, Prabhakar previously participant in two Centers of Excel- Sedra said. “As the technology changed, served at the Advanced Research Projects Agency and spent a year at the congres- lence: he is a principal investigator in my research team moved on to adopt sional Office of Technology Assessment under an OTA fellowship. the federal network MicroNet and a new ones and to introduce circuit Meanwhile, Anita Jones, chair of the University of Virginia Computer Science researcher at the Information Technol- innovations. We are currently working Department, has been confirmed as DOD’s Defense Research and Engineering ogy Research Center (ITRC) of in this area on high-speed, high- director. Jones was a founder and vice president of Tartan Laboratories and currently Ontario. frequency filter circuits that are self- “What is extremely beneficial is serves on the Defense Science Board. adjusting without the need for indi- that this kind of award encourages role vidual tuning in manufacture.” Call to action from Page 9 models for younger faculty. That cannot Born 50 years ago in Egypt, Sedra be emphasized too much,” Chamberlain studied at Cairo University, then came ment of Ph.D.s and Faculty in Computer Science and Computer Engineering said. “We need these individuals to to Canada to complete his graduate (formerly known as the CRA Taulbee Survey) is widely read and anticipated by our generate new technology and to transfer work at the University of Toronto. In members. it to industry. In doing so, we are only 18 months, he finished his doctoral The third level of priorities is all other CRA activities, including helping new creating valuable opportunities for our studies in electrical engineering and teachers, developing strategies to match the supply and demand of CS Ph.D.s and economy and training graduate students subsequently joined the faculty of that cosponsoring curriculum workshops. at the same time.” department. Nine years later, he was These priorities need people to make them happen, and we are the ones who Chamberlain has developed appointed a full professor. In 1984, he must do this work. At this critical juncture in our shared future, our field needs versatile tools for computer simulations, was made a Fellow of the IEEE for his enlightened volunteers who will push it into the next century. I look forward to your such as the three-dimensional WAT- contributions to the theory and design help and commitment. MOS and the new-generation of active-RC and switched-capacitor Bill roundup from Page 12 CHORD, as well as a new hydrodynam- filters. ics simulator for submicron semicon- “This award certainly makes a educational uses of technology. Additionally, a National Commission on Technology ductor devices. These have been difference to me,” Sedra said. “It has Education would assist in guiding federal policy and setting technical standards. adopted by researchers at universities become very prestigious nationally. Past The legislation specifically mentions granting funds to educational institutions “to winners represent the cream of informa- acquire connectivity with wide area networks such as the Internet.” and in companies such as IBM Corp., Intel Corp., Northern Telecom Inc. and tion technology researchers in Canada. Technology for the Classroom Act of 1993 (S 264): Westinghouse. The ability to combine a So to join the ranks of such deserving Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced a bill Jan. 28 that would authorize $90 million for thorough understanding of the physics people gives me a wonderful moral fiscal 1994 for implementing new communications technologies in schools. boost.” Half of the money would provide grants directly to schools of all levels so they could of semiconductors with an appreciation implement technologies such as computers, software, databases, films, transparencies and of the physical properties and param- Douglas Powell is a graduate student at the video, audio and telecommunications equipment. The other half would be funneled through eters required in high-performance University of Guelph and a free-lance state agencies so they could implement programs. devices has enabled Chamberlain to science writer.

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