ACADEMIA

Initiative seeks new approaches to problem solving with computing at the core. Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University today announced the creation of the Microsoft Carnegie Mellon Center for Computational Thinking. The center was made possible through a three-year, $1.5 million grant from Microsoft. The center represents a long-term collaboration between Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon's Computer Science Department and will support research in emerging areas of computer science, particularly those that can influence the thinking of other disciplines. "Increasingly, scientists and researchers rely on computer science to enable them to sift through massive amounts of data and find breakthroughs that could provide new insights into the human body, the earth we live on and even the universe," said Rick Rashid, senior vice president of Microsoft Research. "We are eager to explore this exciting new area of research with Carnegie Mellon." Rashid spoke at the Carnegie Mellon Symposium for Computational Thinking. Computational thinking, as developed by Jeannette M. Wing, head of Carnegie Mellon's Computer Science Department, involves solving problems, designing systems and understanding human behavior by drawing on the concepts fundamental to computer science. "Carnegie Mellon itself is an example of how the power of computational thinking can energize disciplines across the campus," said University President Jared L. Cohon. "Our psychologists use machine learning techniques to decipher brain scans. Our biologists build computer models of cells to find causes of cancer. And business professors harness artificial intelligence to better understand markets. We are delighted that Microsoft is joining us in furthering this concept." The Microsoft Carnegie Mellon Center for Computational Thinking will support research in core computer science areas using an approach called problem-oriented explorations, pioneered by Carnegie Mellon's ALADDIN Center. Researchers from a variety of fields will address specific, real-world problems; initial topics include privacy, e-commerce, multicore computing and embedded medical devices. In addition, the center will develop and disseminate courses and curricula suitable for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as K-12 classes. "Computer technology has rapidly transformed education, commerce and entertainment, but -- more profoundly -- computational thinking is transforming how new science is discovered in fields as varied as biology, astronomy, statistics and economics," said Wing. As part of the ongoing relationship with Microsoft, the center will host a series of "mindswaps" organized as annual meetings between Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon researchers for the purpose of data sharing, problem solving, resource sharing and collaborating on bigger computer challenges. Mindswaps will ultimately lead to problem-oriented explorations as part of the work of the center. Microsoft is deeply committed to education at all levels and has a long history of collaboration throughout academia. This institute is the result of work by the External Research & Programs Group and becomes the eighth such center Microsoft Research has formed worldwide to pursue particular areas of research.