April 24, 2008

Provost Kim Wilcox addresses the Collaborative Process to Align Computing Education (CPACE) advisory board at their kick-off meeting April 24.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded a $450,000 two-year grant to a team whose goal is to better align the computing education of undergraduate engineering students with the needs of engineering and technology companies in Michigan. The CPACE (Collaborative Process to Align Computing Education) team’s advisory board held their kick-off meeting April 24 in MSU’s Engineering Building.

Led by the College of Engineering, the team is made up of faculty from MSU, Lansing Community College (LCC), Western Michigan University (WMU), the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, and key leaders in the Mid-Michigan Innovation Team (MMIT). Working collaboratively with Michigan companies, they will develop a process that prepares future two-year and four-year graduates to move seamlessly into the workforce by: (1) helping students become agile thinkers who can use software and computational and strategic thinking skills to solve problems and (2) developing a collaborative process that enables higher education and industry to work together to understand each other’s needs in computing education, and then identify creative strategies to transform computing education.

“Instead of having a disconnect between what undergraduates learn and what industry needs them to know, this project will work to bridge that gap,” says Tom Wolff, associate dean of undergraduate studies at MSU’s College of Engineering and lead PI on the project. “It is unusual for higher education and industry to have the opportunity to work in a two-way process like this one,” Wolff adds.

“Having a high-ability workforce that can use computing methodologies to solve today’s challenges is critical to the economic development of Michigan,” says Jon Sticklen, MSU associate professor of computer science and engineering and a member of the team that received the grant. “In the rapidly changing business environment, educators need to stay ahead of changes in the workplace; this grant will help us stay ahead of the curve on those needs. It brings the academic faculty and industry leaders of our area to the same table to develop a process that will reflect industry needs in the engineering curriculum.”

"This opportunity to mesh our curriculum goals with the computing needs of industry will aid faculty in preparing students who will be skillful, confident, and adaptable in their problem-solving abilities," says Louise Paquette, professor of math and science at Lansing Community College.

The overall benefit to mid-Michigan is the economic development this project will spur with the development of diverse, agile engineers and scientists who provide a ready workforce of scientists and engineers.

“We hope to be better poised to attract and retain technology-based firms, including high-tech entrepreneurial ventures, that seek to leverage our state’s rich engineering design and research assets,” said Jeannine La Prad, president of the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and CPACE team member.

In November, the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) completed the process of awarding the grants for its Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH) program, an initiative that aims to transform undergraduate computing education on a national scale. More than 25 institutions across the country received grants totaling $6 million..

CPACE Web Page