July 9 - 11, 2000

Snowbird, Utah

The CRA Conference at Snowbird brings together the chairs of Ph.D.-granting departments of computer science and computer engineering, as well as leaders from U.S. industrial and government computing research laboratories.  A number of other senior people from research groups, government, academia, and professional societies also attend.  It is a relatively small (200-250 people) but very influential group.  The goal of the conference is to provide a context in which attendees discuss practical and strategic issues facing their organizations.  This opportunity to network with peers is one of the most valuable aspects of the conference.

The major theme of the CRA Conference at Snowbird 2000 was "Computer Science in the New Millennium."  What will computer science departments, research, and teaching look like?  What are the potential issues that may arise, and how will they be addressed?  The President of the National Academy of Engineering, William A. Wulf, addressed the topic, "Some Challenges for Computer Science as it Enters the 21st Century."  Three plenary sessions, two of which were joint industry/academic sessions, included:  1) Important Research Areas for the New Millennium; 2) Impact of the Economic Development Imperative on the Universities; and 3) Educational Challenges for the New Millennium.  The program offered a workshop for new department chairs, as well as a workshop for deans (new this year).

Industrial research directors attended regular conference sessions and events, including two joint industry/academic plenary sessions (mentioned above) and one joint workshop, "University Venture Capital/Incubation Initiatives."  Other workshops were specifically oriented toward issues of concern to industry, such as:  "Using Spin-offs and Venture Capital to Market New Ideas" and "Managing Industrial Research Labs."