Computer Science –
Facts and Fantasies
Ed Lazowska
Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in
Computer Science & Engineering
University of Washington
July 2013
Today
UW Computer Science & Engineering
Education for the 21st century
Why computer science?
Why a research-intensive university?
What your students will experience in UW
Computer Science & Engineering
z Be a Mythbuster
z
z
z
z
z
UW Computer Science & Engineering
z Ranked among the top 10 programs in the nation
(of >200)
y MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Illinois,
Washington, Princeton, Texas, Georgia Tech, Caltech,
Wisconsin, Michigan, UCLA, UCSD …
z Two undergraduate programs
y Computer Science (College of Arts & Sciences)
y Computer Engineering (College of Engineering)
z > 300 degrees per year
y ~200 Bachelors (growing to ~240)
y ~85 Masters
y ~25 Ph.D.
z Admission
y “Regular Admission” for UW students who have
fulfilled a set of prerequisites (math, physical
sciences, computer science, etc.)
x Offered twice each year – for autumn and spring quarters
x ~15% of majors
y “Accelerated Admission” for students who do
extremely well in our introductory courses
x ~15% of majors
y “Direct Admission” for top high school students
x Offered in the spring, for autumn quarter, coordinated with
the UW Admissions Office and the UW Honors Program
z Extraordinary students
y Fully 1/3 of the UW class medalists since 2000 have been
CSE majors
x Our “fair share” would be 2%
z A deep commitment to providing a top-tier
undergraduate education
y Winner of 5 UW Distinguished Teaching Awards
y Winner of the inaugural UW Brotman Award for
Instructional Excellence
y In a typical quarter, CSE has 2/3’s of the top-performing
instructors in the 10-department UW College of Engineering,
according to student course evaluations
x 9 of the top 10 instructors in the most recent quarter
z We produce students who can design and build stuff
y Emphasis on teamwork and design
y 80% of undergraduates do at least one internship
y 50% of undergraduates participate in faculty-guided
research
x #1 school in the nation in students recognized in the past 10
years in the Computing Research Association “Outstanding
Undergraduate Researchers Award” competition
y A top-5 supplier of students to Amazon.com, Google, and
Microsoft (along with MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and
Carnegie Mellon)
y The predominate supplier to many leading smaller firms
headquartered here
UW CSE 2011-12 Student Destinations
Did not report,
7%
Graduate
school, 13%
Amazon.com,
Google,
Microsoft, 32%
Small
companies or
startups, 31%
Other large
companies,
17%
Tech companies that can be choosy, choose CSE
Message #1
There are various reasons to go out of state for
college
Getting the best computer science or computer
engineering education in the nation is not one of
them
Education for the 21st century
Once upon a time, the “content” of the goods
we produced was largely physical
Then we transitioned to goods whose
“content” was a balance of physical and
intellectual
In the “innovation economy,” the content of
goods is almost entirely intellectual rather
than physical
What kind of education is needed to produce
goods whose content is almost entirely
intellectual rather than physical?
STEM Education in Washington:
The Facts of the Matter
Ed Lazowska
Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in
Computer Science & Engineering
University of Washington
With huge thanks to
Kristin Osborne
Director of Policy & Communications
Technology Alliance
http://lazowska.cs.washington.edu/STEM.pdf
“Innovation is in our nature”
This is true of our economy
and our population.
By any measure, Washington
is a leader in America’s
innovation economy.
2010 Kauffman Foundation
New Economy Index:*
1. Massachusetts
2. Washington
3. Maryland
4. New Jersey
5. Connecticut
7. California
8. Virginia
9. Colorado
10. New York
12. Utah
* Index #6 Delaware and #11 New Hampshire
intentionally omitted.
Employment in our private
sector technology industries
has quadrupled since 1974.
Growth in Private Sector Technology Employment in Washington State, 1974-2009
All Other Tech Industries
Software & Computer Services
Aerospace
Source: Technology Alliance: The Economic Impact of
Technology-based Industries in Washington State, 2010
An economy driven by a
highly educated,
innovative workforce.
2
2
1
5
Washington’s National Rankings
Human Capital
Sources: National Science Foundation: Science &
Engineering Indicators, 2010; Milken Institute: State
Technology and Science Index: Enduring Lessons
for the Intangible Economy, 2011
Intensity of
S&E
workforce
Intensity of
Engineers
Intensity of
Computer
specialists
% of payroll
in high tech
NAICS codes
So, who are these people?
It turns out that they are not
our own children!
Washington is the 2nd largest importer
of degrees among tech states (and 1st,
by far, as a proportion of population).
Net Migration: 22-39 Year Olds, Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (2007)
57,386
WA
24,543
Source: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems/U.S. Census Bureau
We rank very low in engineering
degree production relative to
engineering occupations.
In-state Engineering Degree Production Per 1,000 Engineering Occupations (2005)
103.6
Nation
WA
Source: NCHEMS/U.S. Census Bureau
29.8
It’s the same story in
computer science.
In-state Computer Science Degree Production per 1,000 Computer Science Occupations (2005)
55.7
Nation
21.0
WA
Source: NCHEMS/U.S. Census Bureau
Is this inevitable, given the
vibrancy of our technology sector?
Or do we have pipeline and/or
capacity issues?
A mismatch between
economic opportunity and
our educational output.
2
2
1
5
31
35
46
Intensity of
S&E
workforce
Intensity of
Engineers
Intensity of
Computer
specialists
% of payroll
in high tech
NAICS codes
Sources: ITIF/Kauffman Foundation: The 2010 State New Economy Index; National Science
Foundation: Science & Engineering Indicators 2010; NCHEMS/Postsecondary Opportunity
NS&E
bachelor’s
production
Total
bachelor’s
production
S&E graduate
program
participation
(all indexed to age-range population)
We lag in S&E degree production
not only as a function of workforce,
but also as a function of population.
Natural Science & Engineering Bachelor’s Degrees Per 1,000 18-24 Year Olds
11.5
Nation
WA
7.7
Source: NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators 2010
Note: NS&E degrees include physical, computer, agricultural, biological, earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences; mathematics; and engineering.
Same for total bachelor’s
degree production.
Bachelor’s Degrees Per 1,000 18-24 Year Olds
72.5
Nation
WA
47.8
Source: NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators 2010
We rank last among tech
states in S&E graduate
program participation.
Science & Engineering Graduate Students Per 1,000 Population 25-34 Years of Age (2007)
28.7
Nation
WA
7.1
Source: NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators 2010
Note: S&E includes physical, computer, agricultural, biological, earth, atmospheric, ocean, and social sciences; psychology; mathematics; and engineering.
There are pipeline issues from
secondary to postsecondary
To deal with the gathering storm,
we need to stop the leaks.
Our kids’ futures are leaking!
100
students enter
9th grade
31
students don’t
graduate high
school on time
34
18
graduates don’t
enroll directly in
college
10
don’t return
sophomore
year
Source: NCHEMS
Note: Data for high school graduation doesn’t account for transfers to private high schools and out-of-state.
The calculation for college graduation doesn’t account for transfers across institutions.
7
don’t graduate
within 150%
time
obtain a
degree
within
150% time
Overall, our pipeline is the
leakiest among the tech states.
Student Pipeline: Transition & Completion Rates, 9th Grade to College (2008)
30.2
Nation
WA
18.1
Source: NCHEMS/Tom Mortenson, Postsecondary Opportunity
We are last among tech states in the
proportion of high school graduates
who move directly to college.
College-going Rates of Recent High School Graduates (2008)
74.6
Nation
WA
50.7
Source: NCHEMS/Tom Mortenson, Postsecondary Opportunity
Of the ones who do move directly to
college, too many are unprepared
for college-level work.
A Math Problem:
Only 23% of 2008 high school
graduates entering our 2-year
colleges enrolled in college-level
math or already had the math
required for their degree.
23%
Enrolled in
pre-college
(remedial)
math
Enrolled in or
completed
math required
for degree
48%
29%
Not enrolled in any
math and no
record of having
completed math
required for degree
Source: Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges: Role of
Pre-College (Developmental and Remedial) Education for Recent High School
Graduates Attending Washington Community and Technical Colleges, 2009
Reducing the leaks in the pipeline is
critical for our citizens, our economy,
and our society.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
Behind the numbers…
A human tragedy is unfolding in our state.
The mismatch between the skills
required for available jobs and the
skills people have is growing.
1
% Change in Skills Mismatch Index by State (2007-2010)
5
1st quartile (least change)
2nd quartile
3rd quartile
4th quartile (greatest change)
Source: Estavao, Marcello and Evridiki Tsounta, “Has the Great Recession Raised U.S. Structural Unemployment?”
International Monetary Fund, 2011/Haver Analytics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, author’s calculations
In the last 3 years, Washington’s
skills mismatch grew more than
that of all but one other state.
1
% Change in Skills Mismatch Index by State (2007-2010)
5
2.5%
WA
Source: Marcello and Tsounta, courtesy of Drew DeSilver, Seattle Times.
41.9%
The people who held the
jobs we’re losing aren’t
going to get the jobs
we’re creating.
57% of the job openings
among the top 10 occupations
are in computing.
Source: Used with permission from the Seattle Times.
Yes, it’s a pipeline issue, but
it’s also a capacity issue!
In the race for talent, ideas and economic
opportunity…all STEM is important, but
all STEM is not created equal!
Nationally, 85% of all STEM jobs are
projected to be in computer science
and other fields of engineering.
Science & Technology Job Growth (2010-2020)
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
New Jobs
600,000
New Jobs +
Replacements
400,000
200,000
Computer
Specialists
Engineers
70%
85%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
60%
Life
Scientists
Physical
Scientists
Social
Scientists &
Related
Occupations
Nationally, within STEM there
is a significant mismatch
between jobs and degrees.
Annualized Job Openings vs. Annual Degrees Granted (2008-2018)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation
In Washington, computer science, followed by
other fields of engineering, has the largest gap
between supply and demand.
High Employer Demand Occupations at the Baccalaurate Level.
2010 Supply compared to 2014-2019 Demand
Computer Science
1,665
Health Professions
2,137
Engineering
912
Life Sciences and Agriculture
205
Physical sciences
112
1,171
397
663
98
151
2010 Completers Entering the Laborforce
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
Additional Supply needed each year to meet demand 2014-2019
Source: Washington State HECB, SBCTC, and WTECB: A Skilled and Educated Workforce,
2011 Update. Analysis of Employment Security Department and IPEDS data.
41
Let’s put the vowel
back in STEM!
Message #2
The vanguard of our economy is the production of
goods whose content is almost entirely intellectual
It takes a Bachelors+ education to produce these
goods
If you steer a capable student towards a 2-year
program as his or her end-goal, you are doing that
student a disservice
Not every student needs college prep. But every
student needs life prep. Increasingly, math and
science and “Computational Thinking” are life prep.
“Honors, AP, and IB English, math, and science”
Why Computer Science?
It’s creative, it’s challenging, it’s exciting
It’s increasingly fundamental to many other
fields
And thus it’s great preparation for these fields
There are tons of jobs
Although this is not a reason to choose a major!
http://www.cs.washington.edu/WhyCSE/
Power to Change the World
People enter computer science for
all sorts of aspirational reasons
Pathways in Computer Science
A computer science education is
the gateway to all sorts of
careers in addition to the
software industry
A day in the life
The software industry is pretty
cool
The Impact
“From smartphones to eBook readers to game consoles to personal
computers; from corporate datacenters to cloud services to scientific
supercomputers; from digital photography and photo editing, to MP3 music
players, to streaming media, to GPS navigation; from robot vacuum cleaners
in the home, to adaptive cruise control in cars and the real-time control
systems in hybrid vehicles, to robot vehicles on and above the battlefield;
from the Internet and the World Wide Web to email, search engines,
eCommerce, and social networks; from medical imaging, to computerassisted surgery, to the large-scale data analysis that is enabling evidencebased healthcare and the new biology; from spreadsheets and word
processing to revolutions in inventory control, supply chain, and logistics;
from the automatic bar-coding of hand-addressed first class mail, to
remarkably effective natural language translation, to rapidly improving
speech recognition – our world today relies to an astonishing degree
on systems, tools, and services that belong to a vast and still growing
domain known as Networking and Information Technology (NIT).”
“As a field of inquiry, NIT has a rich intellectual agenda – as rich as that of any
other field of science or engineering.”
“In addition, NIT is arguably unique among all fields of science and
engineering in the breadth of its impact.”
“The development and application of NIT-related systems, services, tools and
methodologies have boosted U.S. labor productivity more than any other set
of forces in recent decades. Advances in NIT, deployed pervasively
throughout the U.S. economy, have helped U.S. workers become the world’s
most productive and have enabled the U.S. to remain one of the world’s
most competitive economies.”
The Future Role
“Recent technological and societal trends place the further advancement and
application of NIT squarely at the center of our Nation’s ability to achieve
essentially all of our priorities and to address essentially all of our challenges:
• Advances in NIT are a key driver of economic competitiveness. They create
new markets and increase productivity.
• Advances in NIT are crucial to achieving our major national and global
priorities in energy and transportation, education and life-long learning,
healthcare, and national and homeland security. NIT will be an indispensable
element in buildings that manage their own energy usage; attention-gripping,
personalized methods that reinforce classroom lessons; continuous
unobtrusive assistance for people with physical and mental disabilities; and
strong resilience to cyber warfare.
• Advances in NIT accelerate the pace of discovery in nearly all other fields.
The latest NIT tools are helping scientists and engineers to illuminate the
progression of Alzheimer’s disease, elucidate the nature of combustion, and
predict the size of the ozone hole, to cite just a few examples.
• Advances in NIT are essential to achieving the goals of open government.
Those advances will allow better access to government records, better and
more accessible government services, and the ability both to learn from and
communicate with the American public more effectively.”
Washington has innovators in most major
information technology industry sectors
Broad e-tailing,
Cloud
Online media
Online travel
Software
Search, etc.
Games
Online real estate
Bioinformatics
Networking infrastructure
RFID
High-performance computing
Clustered storage
Focused e-tailing
Message #3
Computer science is an incredible field
And there are tons of jobs
However, a Bachelors-level education is not about
vocational training – it’s about preparation for lifelong learning, and preparation for citizenship
Why a research-intensive university?
What can we uniquely do?
Get students into the lab
Make them our partners in discovery
Prepare them for life-long learning at the
forefront of knowledge and society
There is no field in which this is more important!
Erin Earl
Overlake School -> Robinson Center Transition School ->
Robinson Center Early Entrance Program
Triple major in Music, Piano Performance, Computer Science
UW Dean’s Medal for the Arts
Indiana University Conservatory (3 months)
Google (5 years)
Harvard Law School
Clerkship in the United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia
-> Clerkship in the United States Court of Appeals for the
Ninth Circuit
Raymond Zhang
Robinson Center Transition School -> Robinson Center Early
Entrance Program
Double major in Biology, Computer Science
Undergraduate research in computational biology
Goldwater Scholar
Piano performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center,
Benaroya Hall
2013 UW Dean’s Medal in Engineering
-> UW CSE 5th year Masters Program
Christophe Bisciglia
Gig Harbor High School
UW CSE
Google (5 years)
Cloudera, Inc. (Founder) (2.5 years)
WibiData (Founder and CEO)
Emma (Lynch) Nixon
Ballard High School ‘07
UW CSE ‘11
Undergraduate research on Games for Learning – Refraction
SDE intern at Microsoft
SDE at Microsoft
Message #4
There’s no field in which it’s more important ot
prepare students for lifelong learning
Bright, well-prepared, well-motivated students
from all across this state get a mind-blowingly
great education at UW
What your students will experience in
UW Computer Science & Engineering
“Capstone Design Courses”
Robot soccer => robot blimps => robot cars
“Software system design”
Computer animation
Ubiquitous computing
“Google-scale computing”
Many, many more
http://www.cs.washington.edu/info/videos/
Message #5
We are in “the opportunity business”