Jeff's Questionnaire

1. Jeffrey LaMarche

2. Computer Science (HCI)

3. most important reason for you personally to get a PhD

After working in industry for seven years, I could only find jobs that were basically the same as I currently had. I found the work boring and my potential growth to be stagnant; thus, it became apparent to me that the only way I would find a meaningful career was to go back to graduate school. By getting a PhD my hope is to conduct interesting research and help educate people.

4. name three computer scientist which YOU consider most important for the field and what you consider their contribution

4.1. Alan Turing - Helped set a standard test for computer A.I., the Turing Test. He also developed the idea of a universal computer that could compute any calculation that any other computer was capable of performing.

4.2. George Boole - His contribution of Boolean Algebra helped define digital logic and helped shape the course of computer science and digital computers.

4.3. Douglas Engelbart - Co-created the computer mouse with Bill English. The combination of the computer mouse and a windowed graphic operating system helped set the explosion for millions of people with little technical knowledge to begin using computers.

5. name the three most important, professionally relevant books which you have read

5.1. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (Russell, Norvig)
5.2. Theory of Computation: Formal Languages, Automata, and Complexity (Brookshear)
5.3. Discrete Mathematics with Applications (Epp)

6. assuming you will collaborate with researchers and explore ideas outside of CS during your PhD studies — which domains are the most likely candidates for this effort

6.1. Medicine
6.2. Cognitive Science
6.3. Biology

7. briefly characterize your own digital literacy:
7.1. which programming language do you know (mention them in an order of decreasing familiarity)

C/C++, PHP, Java, Lisp

7.2. describe the top three projects (problem, programming language used, for what) which you have done in the past

Creating a game for users to play; C/C++; To emphasis software engineering principles and working together in a group on a large project.
Game database web application; PHP with MySQL; To emphasis web programming using PHP and also using a database to hold data.
Playing Mancala against AI; Lisp; Combining all of the principles in the AI course to create a realistic AI opponent for a human.

7.3. which are the top three applications that you are familiar with (e.g. Photoshop, Canvas, Dreamweaver, iMovie, ….)?

Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop

8. List your three favorite topics that you would like to see discussed in this course!

8.1. The grant writing process - from idea, to submission, and beyond
8.2. A career in academia as a professor - Why choose academia? What to expect? How best to prepare?
8.3. How to become a great researcher - How to find and choose papers to read, how to make contacts, and how to choose your own research to conduct.

Last modified 3 September 2007 at 6:39 pm by JeffreyLaMarche