ECE/CS Departments jointly create Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL)

While no universally accepted academic model exists for structuring a relationship between computer science and computer engineering, two departments at Rice University are creating a Computer Systems Laboratory to do just that.

Moshe Vardi, chair of the Department of Computer Science, and Don Johnson, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, announced February 8, 2000 that the laboratory will establish a bridge between the two departments. There is universal agreement that no sharp boundary between the two disciplines can be defined, but both thrive when synergy exists, Vardi explained. The laboratory will create a formal forum for faculty members with shared interests in CS and ECE to discuss issues of common interest in education, research and faculty development.

"At Rice we need to rebuild our computer engineering group, and continue building the computer science department. This is made difficult by the fierce competition that pervades today's academic job market in computer science and engineering," Vardi said. By establishing the laboratory, both departments aim to enhance their interactions, spawning a wider tableau of activities. In turn, these activities should help faculty recruitment efforts by creating a greater awareness of both departments.

The departments are now embarking on a search to fill three laboratory faculty positions. Willy Zwaenepoel of CS has been appointed director of the Computer Systems Laboratory, and chairs the search committee. Other initial members of the laboratory are Keith Cooper, Alan Cox, Peter Druschel, Ken Kennedy, John Mellor-Crummey and Dan Wallach of CS; and Joe Cavallaro, Bob Jump, Ed Knightly and Peter Varman of ECE. These faculty members will remain in their original department and hold a courtesy appointment in the other department.

According to Zwaenepoel, Rice's efforts are an emulation of Stanford's very successful model of interaction between CS and EE.

Last modified: February 10, 2000