Computer Science and Engineering: busting their butts

Edward D. Lazowska
Letter to the Editor

Editor:

Re: "Intel gives UW nearly $1.5 million," Oct. 22:

Your article about Intel's $1.5 million equipment gift to Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering was terrific until the last few paragraphs, when it suddenly and inexplicably turned into complete and utter caca in a way that did a disservice both to Intel and to us.

First, the facts in this specific case: Intel's donation will in large part be used to equip *undergraduate* instructional laboratories in the new EE/CSE building. This donation is not exclusively, or even primarily, for use in research or graduate education.

Second, the facts in general: undergraduates in Computer Science & Engineering do much of their general course computing in a lab containing $220,000 worth of PCs donated by Intel two years ago. They learn digital system design in another PC lab equipped through a similar donation from Intel. They learn computer graphics in a lab containing $350,000 worth of advanced visualization workstations donated by Silicon Graphics, Inc. Students in Art, Music, and Computer Science & Engineering learn computer animation in a second SGI-equipped lab created through a $450,000 donation.

1500 undergraduates each year from across the campus learn introductory programming in a new PC lab where the hardware was purchased by the Office of Undergraduate Education but the software (lots of it!) was donated by Microsoft. Under a new philanthropic effort begun this fall, every undergraduate in our department (and every graduate student and faculty member, and every computer in every departmental lab) gets any and all Microsoft software product free of charge. And Microsoft has just donated $150,000 worth of hardware and software to create two labs for the new undergraduate program in Computer and Software Systems at UW-Bothell.

I could go on, but I hope the point is clear: If you think state dollars equip the state-of-the-art labs in which we educate our undergraduates, you're smoking something. Our research relationships equip these labs - because we care, and because our partners such as Intel, SGI, and Microsoft care. (The University cares, too - they provide space, staff, recognition, etc.) In Computer Science & Engineering, we bust our butts to attract the finest students at the University of Washington and to provide them the education that they deserve. There are lots of benefits to being an undergraduate at a research institution. Ask our students.

Edward D. Lazowska, Professor and Chair
Computer Science & Engineering