CRA Names Susanne Hambrusch Vice Chair
06-29-2015
Writer(s): Jesica E. Hollinger
Purdue Professor of Computer Science, Susanne Hambrusch has been elected as Vice Chair of the Computing Research Association (CRA) and will begin her two-year term July 1, 2015.
She joins the other executive officers who include, Chair Susan Davidson from University of Pennsylvania, Secretary Greg Morrisett from Harvard & Cornell, and Treasurer Ron Brachman from Yahoo! Labs.
Hambrusch said she is looking forward to beginning her term and is ready to work with those in the computing research community.
“Having worked with CRA and its committees in the past, I look forward to working with Susan Davidson and the other members of the Executive Committee and the Board on challenges the research community faces,” Hambrusch said.
Founded in 1972, CRA represents more than 200 North American academic departments of computer science, computer engineering, information sciences and related fields; laboratories and centers in industry, government, and academia engaging in basic computing research, and affiliated professional societies.
CRA is well known (among faculty and Ph.D. students) for the annual Taulbee Survey which provides information on the enrollment, production, and employment of degrees, demographics data, and academic salaries in computer science and related fields in North America.
CRA serves the computing community through the bi-annual Snowbird Conference for Chairs, Heads, and Deans, Best Practices reports, prestigious awards for undergraduate research and professional service, and its monthly on-line CRN publication. CRA oversees the activities of three well-known committees which include, CCC, CRA-E, and CRA-W.
The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) aims to catalyze the computing research community. It organizes a wide range of activities and events that strengthen the research community and articulate compelling new research visions. The CRA-E committee focuses on strategies and practices ensuring a continuous supply of talented and esteemed computing researchers, while the CRA-W committee works to increase the number of women participating in computing research and education at all levels.
Former Department Head from 2002 – 2007, Hambrusch has been involved in a range of CRA related activities, serving on the Board since 2014, and previously from 2008-2010. She also is a co-chair of CRA-E, CRA’s research education committee and she has contributed (for many years) to CRA-W’s programs and serves on its Board, as well.
Hambrusch said serving as CRA’s vice-chair will allow her to effectively contribute to the impact of CRA’s programs and committees and enhance the health of the research community, while setting future directions for CRA’s activities, ultimately translating the needs of the research community into actions.
“I am looking forward to serve CRA and the research community in a leadership position as our field experiences booming undergraduate enrollments, computer science continues to play an increasingly central role at academic institutions, and our field continues to engage in exciting research opportunities,” Hambrush added.