A Message From Frank Friedman
Computing Week 96 Steering Committee
Chairperson
What is ACM Computing Week 96? Why should you be in
Philadelphia
in February 1996? In the broadest sense,
ACM Computing Week 96, the
first 50th anniversary
conference "bookend," marks the beginning of a year-long look at computing,
past, present, and future. CW 96 ushers in a series of events culminating with
the week-long
ACM 50th Anniversary Celebration Conference Event
"ACM97: The Next 50 Years of Computing,"
to be held in San Jose (March 1997).
This February, we also celebrate the 50th birthday of modern computing,
and the accomplishments of those whose unique visions shaped the present.
ACM CW 96 is first and foremost a celebration of those unique people who
shaped modern computing. We are part of what may be the only discipline in
which some of the earliest notables are still alive. CW 96 provides an
opportunity to meet,
interact with many of these early leaders in the field, and to learn more about
their achievements, their early visions, and their current prognosis of computing
in the third millennium. You're invited to join with computer pioneers to
preview the future and understand how we, as educators, professionals, and
students, can work to ensure that the legacy of our earliest visionaries leads to
a robust future in which computing contributes significantly to improving the
quality of life for all.
Computing Week = 2^2
ACM Computing Week 96 is actually four conferences:
The
24th Annual ACM Computer Science Conference (CSC):
Past as Prologue
to the Future - 50 years of Computing,
ACM SIGCAS Workshop on Computers and the Quality of Life,
ACM SIGCSE Symposium on Computer Science Education, and the
ACM Symposium on Applied
Computing (sponsored by several SIGs). This year, CSC features a full
track on
the History of Computing and another on Strategic Directions in Computing. In
this latter track, we examine the interplay of entrepreneurially directed
technological innovation, fundamental research in both academia and industry, and
enabling public policy and support.
A Cornucopia of Events and a "First"
Computing Week 96 features a number of
special events, and a "first" for the computer chess world! Experience the
excitement of the
ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest,
the ACM Student Poster Forum,
the ACM A.M. Turing Lecture, the
ACM Awards Banquet, and a
six-game match
chess challenge
between Garry Kasparov, the
world's chess champion and the
IBM's Deep Blue
computing chess system.
Let the Celebration Begin...
In honor of ACM's 50th Anniversary
Celebration, CW 96 brings you special events on the history of
computing and on public awareness
of computing. On February 14, 1996, coincident with the reenactment of the
turning on of the ENIAC (which occurred February 14, 1946, at the
University of
Pennsylvania),
we will have a two-part Historical Retrospective on how computing
has evolved as a technology and a profession and who the movers and shakers were
who made it happen. That evening, ACM will participate with the City of
Philadelphia, the
University of Pennsylvania, and
Unisys in a reception and
dinner honoring the earliest contributors to the computing field.
Over the next
two days, we have events intended to increase the awareness of the general public
about the impact and contribution of computing technology to society: theInternet
Town Hall (February 15th), and the Electronic Education Event (February 16th).
Tickets for the Pioneer's Reception and Dinner may be purchased on-site but all
of the other special events are free to all attendees.
For students, ACM CW 96 offers all of the above (including the Contest and Poster
Forum), as well as
career-focused programs,
including
site visits to local corporations, the
ACM Career Workshops, guru lunches, and numerous opportunities
to meet the luminaries of the field, past, present, and future.
I encourage you to read more about all of these events in this brochure.
Then make a date to be in Philadelphia beginning February 14th, 1996. Join us
in the Celebration!!!
MAC / 1-Dec-1995