Who wants to be a Computer
Science Student?
Barbara Ericson
Georgia Tech
ericson@cc.gatech.edu
There is a Shortage of CS Students
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The number of CS majors has dropped
40% since 2001
• Nationwide
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The percentage of women has dropped to
about 12%
• From a high of about 30% in the early 80s
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There has never been representative
numbers of African Americans, Hispanics,
and Native Americans
Why the Huge Drop in Students?
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Myth #1
• All computing jobs are going overseas
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Only about 1-2% have
There are actually more jobs now in this area than in
2001
The US Labor Department predicts that computer
software engineers and computer systems designers
will be among the fastest growing occupations in
2002-2012
Money Magazine ranked software engineer as the #1
job and Computer IT analyst #7 considering growth,
pay, and stress
Why the Huge Drop in Students?

Myth #2
• Only geeks do well in computing
Not True Even Long Ago
Who is in Computer Science?
They all are!
Why the Huge Drop in Students?

Myth #3
• You have to like to play computer
games
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Professionals in computing
• Say that you should like:
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Problem solving
Working with others in a team
Being creative
Why the Huge Drop in Students?

Myth #4
• The job is boring!
• Introductory classes are often boring

Students find the examples irrelevant, and
tedious
• Computer Science juniors are often
surprised how creative it is
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Once you are past the early classes
Example: Digital Video Special Effects
Digital Video Special Effects
Digital Video Special Effects
Making a DVFX Movie
Why the Huge Drop in Students?

Myth #5
• It is all about programming
• Introductory classes focus on programming
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Computer Scientist need to know some programming
• Many do little or no programming
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Software Engineers / Designers
Managers
Professors
Human-Computer Interaction
Database Managers
What Computing Was in 70-80s
What Computing is Today
Virtual
Environments
Graphics
Wearable Computing
Bioinformatics
What Computing is Today
Robotics
Ubiquitous Computing
Databases
Information Security
High Performance Simulation
ASIMO – Honda’s Humanoid Robot
Learning to Walk
ASIMO - Capabilities
Computing Is …

Begin Artistic and Creative
Computing is …
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Synthesizing information
Computing Is …
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Aiding People with Disabilities
Sign Language to Speech
Computing Is …
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Enhancing medical care
Working with physician scientists and medical staff at the
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) in Miami to develop
computer-based, low vision technologies that can automatically
adapt, or morph themselves, to suit the visual capabilities of
individual users.
Computing is …
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Creating models and simulations
Firefighter training
Internet Traffic
Computing is …
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Enhancing Education
AquaMOOSE 3D:
Play with Parametric equations
eClass: Capturing Lecture
What fields need computing?
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mathematics
biology
information security
law
stress management
training simulations
video games
graphic design
music technology
environmental
research
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psychology
robotics
medicine
neurology
bioengineering
telecommunications
assistive technology
education
computational
modeling
agriculture
Who Hires our Students?
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Pixar
Google
Bell Labs
AT&T
CIA
Dell
Kodak
Hewlett-Packard
IBM
Intel
Livewire
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Lockheed Martin
Lucent
Microsoft
National Instruments
NAVAIR
Network Associates
NVIDIA Corporation
Radiant Systems
Raytheon Company
Texas Instruments
Universities
Consider Computing

It can lead you to a exciting and
lucrative career where you can
• Help people
• Be creative
• Be an important member of a team
• Do research
• Develop cool new digital devices
• Change the world