Published: June 2017, Issue: Vol. 29/No.6, Download as PDF

Archive of articles published in the June 2017, Vol. 29/No.6 issue.

Research Highlight: CRA Board Member Margaret Martonosi


What do multiprocessors, zebras, and qubits have in common? The field of computer architecture sits at the hardware-software interface, and computer architects play the role of mediating between technology trends emanating “from below” and application trends influencing the field “from above.” Over the 30 years since I began graduate school, my computer architecture research has explored many topics, but the ongoing theme has been attention to how technology and application trends and constraints influence hardware and system design, particularly at the hardware-software interface.

Randall-PinkettRandall-Pinkett

Expanding the Pipeline – Simply Smarter: 2017 Tapia Conference Celebrates Diversity


The 2017 ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing is being held September 20-23 in Atlanta Georgia. This year’s theme, Diversity: Simply Smarter, evokes the basic yet irrefutable concept that diversity is simply the smarter choice. Research by social scientists has repeatedly shown that teams made up of diverse members have a great potential for innovation than homogeneous teams. Whether we seek innovation, intelligence, creativity, strength or beauty of ideas, the best outcomes come from a diverse set of perspectives, a diverse set of experiences, and a diverse set of people.

Lydia TapiaLydia Tapia

Borg Early Career Award Winner: Lydia Tapia


Lydia Tapia, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico, was recently named the recipient of the 2017 CRA-W Borg Early Career Award (BECA). The award honors Anita Borg, who was an early member of CRA-W, and is inspired by her commitment to increasing the participation of women in computing research.

Levy-Allen-LazowskaLevy-Allen-Lazowska

Maximizing Opportunity and Building Capacity: Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington


This article describes strategies we have employed at the University of Washington to increase the prominence and impact of our program. In the past few years we have been elevated from a department to the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, we have begun construction on a second building that will double our space, and we have received legislative investments that will double our enrollment while preserving our ability to closely mentor students. While we have some important advantages (principal among them Seattle’s emergence as a leading center of technology in multiple sectors) and some particular circumstances (such as our role as a public university, dependent upon legislative support and bearing regional responsibilities), we believe that many of these strategies will be usable by others.

Budget coverBudget cover

The President’s FY2018 Budget Request for CISE


On May 23, 2017, President Trump delivered his Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget Request to Congress. The Request proposes $6.6 billion for NSF (a decrease of 11.1% from the actual FY 2016 NSF budget), including a proposal of $839 million for the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE; a decrease of 10.3% from the actual FY 2016 budget). The President’s FY 2018 Budget Request for NSF can be found at <https://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2018/index.jsp>.