CS Is On The Move

The University of Maryland Computer Science department is on the move, both literally and figuratively. Barring construction setbacks, we will be moving into the Iribe Center within the next 18 months. At the same time, our undergraduate numbers continue to move (way) up, our department is continually exploring ways to move its research and educational programs forward, and our strategic plan calls for us to move into the top 10 in US Computer Science departments. Our discipline itself is also on the move, with new research areas and applications emerging that were not under serious consideration a decade ago. In my talk I will outline my ideas for how, in the midst of all of this movement, we can grow in ways that increase our impact and visibility and that also celebrate and invigorate the individuals that make up the department. In doing so I will touch on what I see as my roles as chair; what I believe are our biggest opportunities and challenges; and what I see as some initiatives that we can undertake to enhance our department's life, work and culture. I will also describe some of my ongoing research on formal methods verifying for automotive and medical-device software: another direction in which CS is "on the move."