COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MATH Computer engineering major added to curriculum This year marked the first time Harding offered computer engineering as a major. Dr. Tim Baird, professor ofcomputer science, said the addition ofthe program opened up "new avenues by bringing young people interested in computer engineering to Harding" and that in the past students interested in computer engineering had to look elsewhere to earn a degree_ "This opened up the opportunity for anyone wanting to be a computer engineer to come here and benefit from the Harding experience," Baird said. "Now some of the brightest young people have a choice when looking for schools with this kind of program." Freshman Daniel Reese had a choice when it came time to pick a university. Reese was drawn to Harding for a number of reasons. Reese agrees the new program will bring even more students interested in computer technology related fields to Harding. "I think a lot ofpeople out there are looking for computer degrees," Reese said. "The more choices Harding offers, the more people we'll draw." Reese believes the computer science department is top notch. The computer programming team frequently places at regional and national programming competitions. The existence of a good computer science program made it easy to add the computer engineering degree, and most of the compoDid You Know... Dr. Debbie Duke, associateprofes,sor ofmath, was awarded a Robert Roy and Callie Mae Coons Endowed Chair for 2000-2005. This provides lhe salary and expenses for science areas including funds for research, professional development and teaching aids. nents needed to form the new major were already in place. "We already had a solid computer science department," Baird said. "As a result, our graduates are in demand in the job market." There seems to be an abundance of jobs available for graduates with computer science degrees. According to Baird, a !O year study showed that computer engineering is the single fastest growing occupation, based on the number of new jobs. A U.S. Department of Labor study projectingjob growth from 1996 to 2006 predicted that there would be 250,000 new jobs in the field during that time. "That's why we chose to start the computer engineering program in the first place," Baird said. He said a committee looked into other engineering disciplines but found that computer engineering had the most potential for employment opportunity. - Casey Neese Senior Troy Sidle works in the AIlte1 computer lab. The lab is deSignated for science and math majors only. Photo by Daniel Dubois. Senior Carlos Baltodano shakes hands after making a presentation in his senior seminar class. All computer science majors were required to research a topic and present it to their peers. Photo by Daniel Dubois. Ticu Gamalie, a student from Romania, tutors sophomore Scott Colvin in the math lab. The lab, which provided math majors as tutors, was a service to all students needing extra help in their math courses. Photo by Daniel Dubois.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==