It’s no secret that we are currently in the midst of a major transformation within the history of computer science education. The name itself – “computer science” – is generally considered too narrow for a field that has experienced rapid growth compared to sister disciplines such as physics, math and engineering. When the College of Computing at Georgia Tech was established in 1990, the name “computing” was chosen to acknowledge the breadth of education and research at the College and reflect the highly collaborative nature of the discipline. We were the first academic program to use this new term to define our goals and mission.

In keeping with our entrepreneurial values and forward-thinking roots, the College of Computing at Georgia Tech is again at the forefront of change and progress among our academic peers and industry colleagues. However, this time, we are not suggesting yet another expansion or update to the already “comprehensive” dictionary definition of computing. Instead, we are creating a research and educational platform that defines a “new face” of computing and highlights the different cultural and social aspects of a field that has become wholly-integrated into our lives.

What does that mean to create and define a new face of computing? Looking beyond the world today, the College of Computing at Georgia Tech is charting the future of computing education and preparing students for lifelong success in an integrated, dynamic and globally-competitive world. We are investing heavily in research focus areas that focus on the human aspect, ushering in a new era of socially-conscious computing that will drive the scientific and cultural breakthroughs of the future. We are broadening the participation of historically under-represented groups, such as women and minorities, and encouraging the diversity of thought that is integral for the computing discipline to reach its full potential. .

The New Face of Computing Symposium, the official debut of this new educational and research platform, is the initial forum for industry and academia to discuss and define the new face of computing. Gathering the nation’s preeminent computing scholars, researchers and corporate leaders, including Craig Mundie, the Chief Research and Strategy Officer for Microsoft Corp., the Symposium will address key topics and issues facing this industry. Speakers and panelists will discuss new educational models for the discipline, new breakthroughs in high-performance computing that will drive future progress, the dynamic nature of information technology and its unending affect on the cultural landscape, and how socially-aware research efforts are the key to sustainable innovation in areas such as robotics and information security.