Coding
Education College professor leads several efforts to get students interested in computer science By Adam Jones
F
or Dr. Jeff Gray the logic is simple: If jobs in computer science are in high demand, yet difficult to fill because not enough students learn the discipline, then much more needs to be done to get additional students interested in computer science as early as possible in the education pipeline. “Software is everywhere, and computing has the potential to positively impact all sciences and engineering areas, as well as many areas of daily life,” Gray said. “Computer science as a foundational core is as important to learn now as any physical or life science, yet computer science is not taught in the overwhelming majority of schools. The manifestation of that logic has led Gray, a professor of computer science in the UA College of Engineering, to become a national leader in computer science education, recognized around the country for his work. This past year he was recognized as one of three national Distinguished Educators by the Association for Computing Machinery, the first from the state of Alabama to receive the designation. He is also a member of the 10-person Education Advisory Panel for Code.org, an influential advocacy group for computer science education.
{ Capstone Engineer • Fall 2015 }
23