Cebrowski Hosts Renowned Computer
Science Professor
FACULTY
news & notes
By MC1 Leonardo Carrillo
The Naval Postgraduate School’s Cebrowski
Institute recently hosted guest lecturer Dr.
Tim Bell, the founder of Computer Science
Unplugged, an interactive educational program designed to teach young people the
principles of computer science (CS).
Bell, an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, delivered
an entertaining presentation to students at
Hartnell College, and local middle schools
in Salinas. Without the use of a computer,
Bell taught binary code and other complex
CS concepts through fun and engaging exercises, methods that he has implemented in
classrooms worldwide over the past 20 years.
The presentation and concepts introduced
are part of a National Science Foundation
sponsored research project called “Field
Guide for the Science of Computing.”
“What we’re trying to do is rethink the way
we present the field of CS,” said Computer
Science Chair, and Director of the Cebrowski
GSBPP Associate Prof.
Rene Rendon presented his
research on “An Assessment
of Navy Contract Management
Processes” at the AIAA Aviation
Technology, Integration, Operations and Naval Aviation Conference in Virginia Beach, Va.
Computer Science Unplugged’s Dr. Tim Bell,
engages students in a ‘sorting networks’ game that
demonstrates how networks organize data during a
presentation at Hartnell College in Salinas, Oct. 18.
(U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Leonardo Carrillo)
The Defense Resources Management Institute (DRMI) conducted
its first mobile course ever in Yerevan, Armenia, Oct. 3–14. The DRMI
team included Dr. Bob McNab
(team leader), Dr. Ryan Sullivan
and Lecturer Luis Morales. The
course included a variety of topics
ranging from program budgeting,
multi-year costing, and evidencebased decision making. Twenty-two
participants, including members of
the Armenia Ministry of Defense,
Ministry of Policy, Ministry of Territorial Administration, National
Security Council, and General Staff,
attended the course.
Institute, Dr. Peter Denning. “We want to
spark the interest of students and get them to
follow the path to science.”
Statistics reveal a continuing decrease in
computer science graduates, despite a notable growth in computing jobs available. The
CS Unplugged presentation is one of many
learning concepts being explored in the development of a project that Denning adds has
a simple but critical goal. “It’s about helping
the younger generations get interested,” said
Denning. “We want to recover the magic and
beauty of computer science.”
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Celebrates Completion of P-197
NPS welcomed two new academic
chairs to the campus community.
Navy Capt. Wayne Porter was
named Chair of Systemic Strategy
and Complexity under the Global
Public Policy Academic Group. Porter previously served as special strategic assistant to former Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm.
Mike Mullen. He also co-authored
a paper titled, “A National Strategic
Narrative.” NASA Astronaut Steven
Frick, a retired Navy Captain, has
taken over as NASA Chair professor
within the Space Systems Academic
Group. Frick earned his master’s
degree in Aerospace Engineering
from NPS, and has served as pilot
and crew commander on two space
shuttle missions, STS-110 and STS122 respectively.
By MC1 Rob Rubio
A cloudless, sunny afternoon welcomed local
Congressman Sam Farr and several officials
for the ribbon-cutting ceremony recognizing the completion of Military Construction
Project 197, or P-197, a $7.9 million project
resulting in a 12,000 sq. ft. facility near Ingersoll Hall that provides high-tech classroom,
conference and meeting spaces for NPS.
Capt. Marko Medved, Operations Officer
for Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Southwest, noted the focus on environmental sustainability that will eventually award
the facility with a prominent achievement in
stewardship circles.
He noted, “Two key elements were the audio-visual system and the sustainable design
features … the LEED [Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design] certification
that will be attained on this building,” he
said. “This building has a few extra trinkets
in it that make it more sustainable than your
average building. It provides more open
space, storm water filtering and manage-
ment, photovoltaics on it for renewable energy, a high-efficiency HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] system, [we]
diverted 75 percent of the debris away from
local landfills by recycling it and 20 percent
of the building is made up of some type of
recycled content.”
Congressman Sam Farr remarked that he is
a strong advocate for investing in military
institutions on the Monterey Peninsula, “because I don’t ever want, under my watch, to
see us losing more military from this area,”
noting the closure of Ft. Ord in 1994.
He closed by complimenting the Naval Postgraduate School community and the institution’s mission within DoD. “I’m very excited
about the mission of this institution, excited
Graduation
that Leon [Panetta] is now Secretary
of DeKeynotes Winter
CNO Roughead
fense … and I want to continue to build,” he
noted. “You are the family of this campus
and it is your work every day that makes this
a world renowned class act … a diamond
jewel in American military installations.”
U.S. Navy Photo
by Javier Chagoya
r
By Barbara Honegge
all the military sered graduates from
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