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School of Computer Science

File:SCSlogo.jpg
Type	Private school for computer science
Established	1965 (department); 1988 (school)
Chairman	Benno Bern
Dean	Randal E. Bryant
Academic staff	260
Undergraduates	565
Postgraduates	281
Doctoral students	408
Address	5000 Forbes Avenue , Pittsburgh , PA , United States
Campus	Urban
Website	School of Computer Science

The School of Computer Science (SCS) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA is a leading private school for computer science.

SCS has consistently cemented its place among the top computer science programs in the United States over the decades, and is currently ranked fourth by U.S. News & World Report. Carnegie Mellon's Department of Computer Science was established in 1965 and evolved into a separate school in 1988.

SCS students, faculty and researchers have been making strides over the last 15 years, excelling in the fields of distributed systems, networking, software technology, robotics, and parallel processing.

History

The School of Computer Science began as the Computation Center in 1956. the same year the university received its first computer, an IBM 650.

The Computation Center was a collaboration between the Graduate School of Industrial Administration (now the Tepper School of Business) and the Psychology, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics departments.

Alan J. Perlis, who attended Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) as an undergraduate, was named head of the Computation Center. Perlis worked with political scientist Herbert A. Simon and GSIA alumnus Allen Newell, in addition to graduate students and other members of the faculty. In its first year, the Computation Center had a four-person staff and a $53,000 budget.

The Computation Center opened up to undergraduate students in 1958 with a programming course for freshmen, the first course of its kind in the nation. In the coming years, computing would become an important part of Carnegie Tech's undergraduate education and research, catering to students in a variety of fields.

By 1965, the university's computing programs were consistently ranked among best in the nation, along with those at MIT and Stanford. That same year, the Computation Center evolved into the Department of Computer and Information Science following a $5 million grant from Richard King Mellon. The department, which at first only offered a Ph.D. program, was housed in the Mellon College of Science. It gained momentum by selecting its initial students from Carnegie Tech graduates in other disciplines, including mathematics, electrical engineering, psychology, and the GSIA Systems and Communications Sciences Program.

During H. Guyford Stever's tenure as university president (1965–1972), computer science continued to flourish. Government grants provided the program with the means to expand its efforts in research and education, and the university became known for its work in artificial intelligence and innovative programming languages.

Starting in 1986, the Department of Computer Science began a two-year "floating period," where it began to develop an identity outside of the Mellon College of Science. During this time, the department expanded its areas of study, numbers of students and faculty members, and funding, 90 percent of which came from grants. The department, now recognized as a key facet of the university, became the School of Computer Science in 1988, one of the first computer science schools in the country.

Andrew Network

In the 1980s, computing largely relied on time-sharing mainframe computers. Under this system, individual users lack computing power and are connected to a central computer, which handles the computational needs of hundreds of users at once.

In 1980, Carnegie Mellon had five mainframe computers catering to about 3,800 students and faculty members. Simon, Newell, and Robotics Institute-head Raj Reddy, along with Provost Richard Van Horn, made a push for personal computers, which they saw as a better way to make computing accessible to everyone on campus. Personal computers on campus required the development of a local area network.

In order to create such a network, Carnegie Mellon partnered with IBM in 1981, the latter of which invested $35 million into the project. What resulted was the Andrew Network, which connected 10,000 personal computers to central storage computers (servers), in addition to printers in computer clusters and offices. The Andrew Network was a revolutionary piece of technology, attracting national attention.

The University Computation Center was built in 1983 to house Carnegie Mellon's computing services. It was renamed Richard M. Cyert Hall in 1993.

SCS today

Divisions

• The Machine Learning Department studies automated learning methods, which allow systems to use experience to learn and improve over time.

• The Computer Science Department (CSD) aims to provide a fundamental education in computer science's practical and theoretical aspects. The 40-year-old department is the oldest degree-granting division in SCS.

• The Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) hosts the largest, most diverse collection of HCI researchers in the world. HCII focuses on the development of interactive computer-based technology.

• The Institute for Software Research (ISR) studies the development and improvement of practical, large-scale, software-intensive systems.

• The Language Technologies Institute (LTI) explores the many facets of language technology and information management. It was established in 1996 as an expanded form of the Center for Machine Translation (CMT).

• The Robotics Institute (RI), founded in 1979, conducts research in robotics technologies relevant to industry and society.

Additionally, SCS, along with Carnegie Mellon's College of Fine Arts, sponsor the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), which offers a two-year Masters of Entertainment Technology degree program.

Undergraduate programs

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computational Biology (with Mellon College of Science)
• Minor in Language Technologies
• Minor in Computer Science
• Minor in Robotics
• Minor in Software Engineering
• Additional Major in Computer Science
• Additional Major in Human-Computer Interaction
• Fifth Year Masters in Computer Science (Carnegie Mellon, CS undergrads only)
• MBA - Computer Science 3-2 Program (Carnegie Mellon, CS undergrads only)

Academic masters

• Masters in Machine Learning
• Masters in Language Technologies
• Masters in Robotics
• Master of Science in Information Technology in Robotics Technology (MSIT/RT)
• Masters of Science in Information Technology, Specialization in Very Large Information Systems (MSIT-VLIS)
• Masters of Science in Information Technology--Embedded Software Engineering
• Fifth Year Masters Program (CSD)

Professional masters

• Masters in Entertainment Technology
• Masters in Human-Computer Interaction
• Masters of Information Technology in Ebusiness Technology
• Masters in Software Engineering
• Masters in Software Engineering Management
• MBA Track in Technology Leadership (joint SCS/Tepper program)

Doctoral programs

• Ph.D. in Computer Science
• Ph.D. in Computer Science/Neural Basis of Cognition
• Ph.D. in Computer Science/Dual Degree Portugal
• Ph.D. in Robotics
• Ph.D. in Robotics/Neural Basis of Cognition
• M.D./Ph.D. in Robotics
• Ph.D. in Language and Information Technologies
• Ph.D. in Language and Information Technologies/Dual Degree Portugal
• Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction
• Ph.D. in Software Engineering
• Ph.D. in Machine Learning
• Ph.D. in Machine Learning/Neural Basis of Cognition
• Joint Ph.D. in Statistics & Machine Learning
• Ph.D. program in Computation, Organizations and Society (COS)

Student organizations

• Women@SCS is a program in the School of Computer Science intended to create and promote educational, social and professional resources for female students in the field. The Women@SCS Advisory Committee is comprised of SCS undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to faculty. The Committee has established a variety of programs, including the Big/Little Sister program for undergraduates and the invited Speaker Series for graduates. Women@SCS also supports outreach projects, such as the "Is there a robot in your future?" workshop for middle school girls.

Beyond Pittsburgh

• Carnegie Mellon West, the west coast campus of Carnegie Mellon University, opened in Silicon Valley, California, in 2002. The campus offers a full-time master's program in Software Engineering, in addition to three Master of Science in Information Technology programs with classes in both Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley. The west coast campus also offers part-time master's programs in Software Engineering and Software Management. Full- or part-time Ph.D. students can also complete the ECE Ph.D. program from the Silicon Valley campus.

• Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar opened in 2004 in Doha, Qatar. The campus offers a bachelor of science degree in computer science. The Qatar campus also offers CS4Qatar, a workshop for high school students and teachers designed to attract local minds to computer science.

• The CMU-Portugal program is a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University and the Portuguese Government. It is facilitated by an international virtual institution called the Information and Communication Technologies Institute (ICTI), which has locations both at Carnegie Mellon and in Portugal. CMU-Portugal offers advanced degree programs in Software Engineering, Information Technology, and Information Networking, in addition to doctoral degree programs in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Language Technology, Mathematics, and in the areas of Technological Change and Innovation and of Engineering and Public Policy.

Research

• The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is a joint effort between Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh and Westinghouse Electric Company. PSC was founded in 1986 and receives support from several federal angencies, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and private industry. PSC is a leading partner in the TeraGrid, the National Science Foundation’s cyberinfrastructure program.

• The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center that was established in 1984 by the U.S. Department of Defense. The SEI acts a a countrywide resource for software engineering, computer security and process improvement. It also works closely with industry and academia through research collaborations.

• The National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) is a division of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute (RI) that opened in Lawrenceville in 1996. NREC draws upon RI faculty and staff, while also including outside personnel interested in developing robotics education in elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools.

• Robot City is a site used by the Robotics Institute (RI)'s Tartan Racing and Field Robotics Center. Located in Hazelwood, Robot City evolved in 2006 from am abandoned LTV Steel site to an outdoor center for researchers to interact with robots that is less confining than a regular laboratory.

School of Computer Science Complex

The School of Computer Science Complex is a $98 million project that includes the Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies. The complex has been under construction since 2007 and is expected to open by summer 2009.

The complex aims to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating, if not higher. LEED standards, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), award green construction and design on a number of levels.

Plans for the complex began in 2004, when the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave the university $20 million. In February 2008, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation gifted Carnegie Mellon $10 million, at which point the then-unnamed front building of the complex became the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies. The complex is being designed by Mack Scogin Merril Elam Architects, an award-winning firm located in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 210,000-square-foot complex will occupy the valley on Carnegie Mellon's West Campus surrounded by the Purnell Center, Cyert Hall, Doherty Hall and Newell-Simon Hall. The Gates Center (150,000 square feet) will face South in the direction of the grassy area on campus called "the Cut," and the Hillman Center (60,000 square feet) will face North toward Forbes Avenue, serving as the complex's main entrance. The two buildings will be connected on every level. The complex will include about 310 offices, 11 conference rooms, 32 labs, 8,000 square feet of project space and the Planetary Robotics Center. It will also house 12 classrooms, including a 250-seat auditorium.

The Computer Science Complex will dramatically increase the location's pedestrian and green spaces. Part of this will be the result of the complex's 150-space covered garage, which will greatly reduce the amount of surface parking.

Additionally, the Gates Center will connect to the Purnell Center, which houses the School of Drama, through the Randy Pausch Memorial Footbridge. The bridge represents professor Randy Pausch's own devotion to linking computer science and entertainment, as Pausch was a of co-founder Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center.

Traditions

Main article: Carnegie Mellon University traditions

• Carnegie Mellon's Mobot Races, now in their 14th year, are hosted by the School of Computer Science during every Spring Carnival celebration. The Mobots (short for mobile robots) follow a slalom course painted in the sidewalk outside of Wean Hall. The Mobot Races used to include a MoboJoust competition, but it has not been held since 2002 to avoid damaging the Mobots.
• SCS Day is a yearly celebration of computer science that started in 2003. The event features a variety of activities, including exhibits, workshops and games, in addition to an evening talent show.

Smiley face

SCS research professor Scott Fahlman is credited with the invention of the smiley face emoticon. He suggested the emoticon on an electronic bboard in 1982 as a way for board readers know when an author was joking. The text of Fahlman's original post was lost for nearly 20 years but was later recovered from backup tapes:

<pre.raw style="border: 0px;"> 19-Sep-82 11:44 Scott E Fahlman  :) From: Scott E Fahlman <Fahlman at Cmu-20c> I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers: -) Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes - given current trends. For this, use -(

Tartan Racing

Tartan Racing is a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon and General Motors Corporation that competes in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The Grand Challenge is a competition for driverless cars sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Tartan Racing is led by Carnegie Mellon roboticist William L. "Red" Whittaker.

In 2007, Tartan Racing won the DARPA Urban Challenge, in which 11 autonomous ground vehicles raced over urban roadways. In the challenge, team vehicles were required to obey all California driving laws, share the road with other drivers and robotic cars, and complete the course in under six hours. Tartan Racing won the $2 million cash prize with Boss, a reworked 2007 Chevy Tahoe. Averaging about 14 miles an hour for a 55 mile trip, Boss beat the second-place team, Stanford Racing, by just under 20 minutes.

Faculty

Faculty members from the School of Computer Science have received international recognition for achievements within their fields. These honors include include memberships and fellowships in the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers and The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Eight SCS faculty and alumni have won the A. M. Turing Award, the Association for Computer Machinery's most prestigious award, often called the "Nobel Prize of computing." These include Raj Reddy, Manuel Blum and Edmund M. Clarke of the active faculty, in addition to Emeritus Faculty Dana Scott.

Notable faculty

• Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design. Pausch was also a best-selling author, who became known around the world after he gave "The Last Lecture" speech on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon. Pausch was instrumental in the development of Alice, a computer teaching tool. He also co-founded Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center. Randy Pausch passed away on July 25,2008.

• Luis von Ahn is an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, where he also received his Ph.D. in 2005. Von Ahn was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2006 (called the "genius" award). He also created Games With a Purpose, a website where users can play games to help train computers to solve complicated problems.

• William L. "Red" Whittaker is a roboticist and research professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon who led the Tartan Racing team to victory in the 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge. He is also leading a team of Carnegie Mellon students to win the Google Lunar X Prize. Whittaker is the Fredkin Professor of Robotics at the Robotics Institute and the director of the Robotics Institute's Field Robotics Center since its creation in 1983. Whittaker earned his master's and doctoral degrees in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon in the late 1970s.

• Raj Reddy is the Mozah Bint Nasser University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics in the School of Computer Science and concentrates in the fields of artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. He won the Okawa Prize in 2004, the Honda Prize in 2005, and the Vannevar Bush Award in 2006. Reddy was the first head of the Robotics Institute when it opened in 1978.

• Takeo Kanade is a U.A. and Helen Whitaker University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics. He is the director of the Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center at Carnegie Mellon. His main areas of interest include computer vision, multi-media, manipulators, autonomous mobile robots, and sensors.

• Hans Moravec is a research professor at the Robotics Institute with interests in mobile robots and artificial intelligence. He worked in the RI's Mobile Robot Lab, a research space designed to produce robots able to move through intricate indoor and outdoor areas. He also helped develop Moravec's Paradox in the 1980s, which states that it is more difficult for computer's to learn basic human instincts than human reason.