Choose something in life you love to do more than fishing.
Dr. Anita K. Jones took that advice from her father when she was still young, and ran with it, to say the least. Dr. Jones has gone on to become one of the first women to receive a PhD in computer science, an IEEE fellow, a leading researcher on large technical issues such as distributed systems and network security, and one of the foremost advocates in the United States for improving math and science education in American public schools.
In this inspiring interview hosted by IEEE Spectrum Radio's Susan Hassler, Dr. Jones talks about her passions for tackling major technological and engineering challenges, and for encouraging others to enter the math and science fields or support math and science students and teachers. Children are natural scientists, says Dr. Jones, but somehow that innate curiosity isn’t being nurtured in school. Teachers must receive more support to retain their own passion for their subject matter, and in turn keep the spark of curiosity in their students kindle
Dr. Jones is working with the National Academy of Sciences to pressure Congress to pass legislation that would significantly bolster math and science learning and increase funding for R&D. This is especially important, she says, because we're not producing the numbers of engineers and scientists we need to answer such formidable engineering challenges as global warming, renewable energy, and a better Internet.
This program was originally broadcast on IEEE Spectrum Radio.
Dr. Anita K. Jones is the Lawrence A. Quarles Professor of Engineering and Applied Science and University Professor in the department of computer science at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, where she was instrumental in building a “top-notch” computer science research program. Jones has made significant contributions to computer science research and in the Department of Defense science and technology programs. She served as the Director of Defense Research and Engineering in the Pentagon for more than four years, and was recognized for her exemplary service to the country with the Department of Defense Award for Distinguished Public Service.
Jones has served as founding editor-in-chief of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Transactions on Computer Systems and as an editor of the Communications of the ACM, two of the more widely-circulated journals within the field. She has also served on several advisory boards including the MIT Lincoln Laboratories Advisory Board and the Defense Science Board, and has served on or chaired numerous national academies’ committees. Her research has produced seminal results in several areas including operating systems, protection, security, and software engineering.
This free podcast is from our IEEE Spectrum Radio series.
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