UF "raids" Clemson's Computer Science Faculty

[Gator88NE]

<p>An interesting article on UF’s recent “raid” on Clemson’s computer science faculty. UF recruited Dr.Juan E. Gilbert as the new Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Chair and the associate chair of research in the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department. Not only that, but UF also recruited four of the school’s six Black computer science faculty members to join him.</p>

<p><a href=“http://diverseeducation.com/article/63916/”>http://diverseeducation.com/article/63916/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

“I’m delighted, and the timing was right,” says Gilbert, 45, who had applied to become director of Clemson’s School of Computing that had been vacant for more than a year but adds that he experienced significant pushback from several colleagues on the search committee who didn’t want him to have the top job.</p>

<p>But before Gilbert could even interview for the position, UF had preempted the application process by flying him and several colleagues to Gainesville and offering them all jobs back in March.</p>

<p>“They gave me everything I asked for,” says Gilbert, who chaired the Human-Centered Computing division at Clemson. “And they let my faculty come.”</p>

<p>Dr. Cammy R. Abernathy, dean of UF’s College of Engineering, says that she was able to go on a hiring spree thanks to The UF Preeminence Plan. The $15 million state-funded initiative was created to help the university recruit superstar talent in life sciences, massive data, cybersecurity, Latin American development and other fields.

</p>

<p>For more info (and Bio’s) on more recent “Preeminence” hires see the following link. As you can see by Dr. Gilbert’s Bio, this is a major coup for UF. </p>

<p><a href=“http://rising.ufl.edu/facultyFunding/faculty.html”>http://rising.ufl.edu/facultyFunding/faculty.html&lt;/a&gt; </p>

[Gator88NE]

<p>More on the new faculty:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.alligator.org/news/campus/article_05f97160-e168-11e3-9615-0019bb2963f4.html”>http://www.alligator.org/news/campus/article_05f97160-e168-11e3-9615-0019bb2963f4.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>“UF hires human-centered computing experts from Clemson”</p>

<p>

More classes focusing on how computers relate to and read humans are on the way for UF students. </p>

<p>UF hired four former Clemson University computer scientists to work in the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering.
…
Benjamin Lok, associate professor and director of the Digital Arts and Science Program, said the team will allow the school to offer many benefits to students, including research and new courses.</p>

<p>“They’re going to get a variety of classes that we just can’t offer right now,” Lok said.

</p>

<p>An interview with Dr. Gilbert from 2010 on Human-centered computing:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA07sVpeb_w”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA07sVpeb_w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[calipretty3]

<p>So, is this a good thing or a bad thing? PLEASE let me know before moving to UF when I can just stay in FIU with the same financial aid package… thanks</p>

[Test90]

<p>“[…]this is a major coup for UF.”
That should tell you if its good or bad… If a “normal” Professor has a Wikipedia Page, I see that as something positive: <a href=“Juan E. Gilbert - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_E._Gilbert&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>What I don’t get, and please forgive the foreigner here, why is it so much about that he is black, or furthermore, that the colleagues that come with him are black?:
“Not only that, but UF also recruited four of the school’s six Black computer science faculty members to join him.”</p>

<p>I really don’t get that, as far as I can tell no matter which race, he and his team do a great job in their research field, what does it even matter that it has to be pointed out so much?</p>

<p>But bottom line is, either way I hope I get accepted into the Computer Engineering Program at UF :)</p>

[Gator88NE]

<p>@Test90 To answer your question.</p>

<p>My first link was to a site that focuses on diversity, so that was the main angle they emphasized. You’ll noticed it’s not something mentioned in the UF announcements. Instead the focus is on the research done by the ex-Clemson faculty. </p>

<p>UF puts a focus on recruiting and graduating African American students. Engineering is a field where African American’s are under-represented. Currently (2013) the Engineering faculty has/had 8 AA Associate(4) and Assistant (4) Professors out of a faculty of 278. Adding these professors will make the Computer Science/Engineering department more accessible to AA students and provide more mentors.</p>

<p>However, from a student (of any race) standpoint, this means UF can now offer a world class education (and research) in human-centered computing. If I was a student, that’s what I would be excited about, or the thought that UF would be adding more faculty, like Dr. Gilbert (as part of the Rise to Preeminence campaign), in other fields that I may be interested in pursuing.</p>

<p>The following link covers the first series of initiatives, UF will add more over time:</p>

<p><a href=“http://rising.ufl.edu/facultyFunding/funding.html#funding”>http://rising.ufl.edu/facultyFunding/funding.html#funding&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>Finally, by adding more world class faculty, we increase UF’s perceived “prestige”, which adds to the value of a UF degree. As it should, since a stronger faculty means a stronger/better university (from teaching to research). </p>