Awards Ceremonies

Dean's Remarks


Constance A. Knapp, PhD
Interim Dean

Good evening everyone. It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to this year's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems Annual Awards Ceremony and Student Reception.

I extend a warm welcome to all of our graduates, their families, friends and guests, and to all of our continuing students, who one day will be sitting here as graduates themselves.

This may be the most important event of the year because at it, we recognize the outstanding accomplishments of our students.

We celebrate you, the graduating class.

  • Our undergraduates
  • Our master's degree candidates
  • Our doctoral degree candidates
  • Our award winners at all levels

We also celebrate our school.

  • Our faculty, administration and staff, the people who make the outstanding Seidenberg student experience. They believe in your daughter, son, brother, sister, father, mother, grandchild or friend.

As you know, five years ago, Ivan G. Seidenberg presented Pace University with the largest gift in its over 100 year history. In recognition of his generosity the School was named the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

When he presented the University with this gift, Mr. Seidenberg said "This nation must create the intellectual capital that is essential to an innovation-centered economy. Innovation simply cannot exist without a constantly replenished talent pool of entrepreneurs, managers and engaged employees."

Our country needs a new type of computing professional, one who can see the connections between technology and all of the disciplines, and who can help make a difference in this new, interdisciplinary world of computing.

Crystal ball gazing is a dangerous business - just listen to these quotes about technology. Let's start with one of the most famous: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Do you know who said that?
-- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

Or how about this one. "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
-- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.

And here's a good one, one that I found as I prepared to speak to you today: "But what … is it good for?"
-- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

What is it good for? Hmm … let me see. Think of all of the places that use chips - your microwave, your car, your washer, dryer, and maybe your alarm clock. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Why do I bring this up now? Many of you will have jobs that do not yet exist. We at the Seidenberg School have the unenviable job of preparing you for careers that do not exist, needing skills that haven't been developed yet. And that is why we prepare you to be life-long learners. Here's another quote:

"Instead of pouring knowledge into people's heads, we need to help them grind a new set of eyeglasses so that they can see the world in a new way."
-- J. S. Brown. John Seely Brown is the former Chief Scientist of Xerox Corporation and Director of its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).

I hope that we have "ground you a new set of eyeglasses" and that the new eyeglasses fit, and that you see the world in exciting, creative new ways. It may sound trite to say that the Internet has changed everything, but you all know it has. I used to teach with chalk, then with overheads, then with a dry erase marker, and now with a laptop. The world has been transformed through technology, as have we all.

And it's not just education that has changed - business, government, our social and cultural institutions have as well. Think about Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube … I could go on.

The joy and the challenge of our field is that it changes constantly, and it changes everything. I hope that all of us continue to enjoy change and I wish you all the best as you continue your lifelong love affair with learning.
 

-- Constance A. Knapp, PhD
    Interim Dean