ACADEMIA

Media Grid director Aaron E. Walsh was named to Computerworld's list of "40 Innovative IT People to Watch, Under the Age of 40." The announcement was made in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Computerworld, the premier source of news and analysis for the information technology industry. The award honors the new stars of IT. "Computerworld's '40 Innovative IT People to Watch, Under the Age of 40' recognizes individuals developing innovative, promising technologies which hold the potential to significantly affect society in the near future," said Don Tennant, editor in chief of Computerworld. Walsh is recognized for his pioneering work on the Media Grid, a public utility for digital media that enables a new generation of networked applications, including: Immersive Education; on-demand digital cinema and interactive movies; distributed film and movie rendering; truly immersive multiplayer games and virtual reality; real-time visualization of complex data (weather, medical, engineering, and so forth); telepresence and telemedicine (remote surgery, medical imaging, drug design, etc.); vehicle and aircraft design and simulation; and similar high-performance media applications. In association with the announcement Computerworld today published a special report called "Aaron E. Walsh: An Advocate of Virtual Reality." The report focuses on Immersive Education, a Media Grid initiative that combines interactive 3-D graphics, commercial game and simulation technology, virtual reality, voice chat, Web cameras and rich digital media with online courses and classrooms. Computerworld also published a corresponding profile of Walsh that gives readers a personal look at his background, career and research. Computerworld's "40 Under 40" search began this spring with a call for nominations sent out to the IT industry and Computerworld.com newsletter subscribers. A panel of Computerworld editors selected the new stars of IT by looking for candidates whose career accomplishments best fit these statements: * Has the vision or ability to apply IT in unique or innovative ways. * Demonstrates fresh thinking. * Uses cutting-edge technology to solve complex business problems. * Shows a clear grasp of how to motivate people and/or lead an IT department. * Makes big changes through technology. * Understands the breadth of IT management functions from technology to budgeting to interdepartmental relations.