NCWIT Awards Pearl Brazier and Artem Chebotko $15,000

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)  Academic Alliance Seed Fund, sponsored by MICROSOFT Research, has recently awarded Pearl Brazier and Artem Chebotko in the Computer Science Department $15,000 to fund a proposal “Dancing Robots Introduction to Computer Science” which we will use to enhance CSCI 1360 to attract Women to the Computer Science/ Computer Engineering Degree. We plan to offer this version of the course during Spring 2010 and Summer 2010.  UTPA was one of three to receive this award.  Read more about their award on the NCWIT website and MICROSOFT Research website!

WHO WE ARE

Computer engineers design and develop computer hardware, software, peripheral devices, and communication networks. They are actively involved in web development by developing new features, tools, and services for the World Wide Web and the Internet. They manage the design, content and development of websites and features for the Internet including e-commerce, web streaming and Internet security.

The computing industry is a vital aspect of our national economy. The industry has impacted every aspect of American life including: mainframe computers in government and industry, supercomputers expanding the frontiers of science and technology, desktop computers at home and work, mobile computing, automobiles, communications, appliances, electronic games, entertainment, health care, and aerospace. The computer industry is one of the fastest growing segments of our economy and that growth will continue in the foreseeable future.

Computers are getting smaller and more powerful. Thus, the use of computers is increasing at a phenomenal rate. Each new computer application area requires the skills of the computer engineer. Jobs that do not exist today will be commonplace tomorrow and require computer engineers. Computer engineers are involved with both the design and development of computers as well as the utilization of computing systems in new and innovation applications. Examples are developing computing systems for automated manufacturing, developing computing systems for wireless communication systems, developing operating systems for specialized applications, developing security systems for computing systems, and developing smaller and more powerful computer chips. Computer engineers can design and develop both the hardware and software components present in every computing application. This is especially important in embedded computing systems such as wireless telephones and the automobile industry.

Computer Engineeringeducation involves the traditional computer hardware education from Electrical Engineering Departments with the computer software education from Computer Science Departments. A computer engineer should have a deep understanding of both hardware and software. In addition, their education program has extensive components of mathematics and science disciplines.

With a Computer Engineering degree, an individual has a balanced view of hardware,software, hardware-software tradeoffs, analysis, design and implementation techniques. The curriculum has been designed following the guidelines of  ACM and IEEE model curricula for Computer Engineering and in anticipation of meeting Accreditation Board for Engineering and Tedhnology (ABET) standards.  As a new program it is not yet accreditated by ABET; however, the program intends to seek ABET accreditation as soon as all  requirements to do so are met. The program awards a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCE).  There are two distinct tracks available in the UTPA Computer Engineering Program: the Hardware track and the Software track.