Teach students to compute for good

By Santosh Vempala

I am a computer scientist and I also compute for good.

Computing is the defining innovation of our times and the future of scientific, economic and social progress as we know it. But many among us — educators, politicians, corporate leaders and general consumers — too often associate technology with improving business functions, creating cooler entertainment options or acquiring the most online friends.

As a professor specializing in theoretical computer science, my career is based on trying to understand the very limits of computation: What problems can or cannot be solved efficiently by computers? But what I find to be just as compelling, challenging and of the utmost importance is applying technology beyond its current confines to where it impacts society in fundamental ways.

Georgia Tech’s College of Computing has created an education and research movement for combining technology with activism. Computing for Good (C4G), as the movement is aptly titled, centers on the concept of applying computing ideas to important societal problems via projects to improve quality of life where it is most needed.

Many of today’s societal problems stem from a lack of information or a lack of resources. Connecting needs and resources is, at heart, a computing activity, and doing it effectively is the fundamental challenge we address.

Over the two years since the program started, our students have shown great interest in social causes ranging from homelessness to blood safety monitoring. Perhaps this is because the economy isn’t booming and graduates are thinking less about making money.

Maybe out of necessity, students today are more concerned with the health and welfare of communities as a whole than simply making a six-figure salary. Whatever the motivation, this generation of students is truly more aware of pressing social needs. The abundance and accessibility of information has opened their eyes to the difficulties faced by others in far-off communities.

But in spite of this groundswell of awareness, courses such as C4G are not easy to find. We as scientists and educators should promote an educational system that values the computing discipline and provides students with critical thinking skills and career opportunities at all levels, according to the Association for Computing Machinery.

Let us take another look at computing education and how we can use technology for much more.

C4G projects range from helping homeless shelters in Atlanta to improving blood safety and specimen testing in sub-Saharan Africa and providing connectivity in remote areas all over the world.

Today, there are millions struggling to survive, many displaced communities and countless others without access to health care components like vaccines or safe blood transfusions. What can we do to help? What can we do to give them food and medicine today, a roof over their heads for tonight, hope and opportunity for tomorrow?

Whether it is building better tracking systems for homeless shelters, upgrading the technology capabilities of health organizations in developing countries or empowering the people of a war-torn land, our students are learning that computing is a big part of the solution. And the ability to see and account for the big picture will better prepare students to leave the labs and classrooms and work in the real world.

As an educator and a scientist, I believe we must foster the altruistic side of students and use computer science as a cutting-edge discipline to tackle real issues that affect all walks of life and from all corners of the globe, thus finding sustainable solutions to real problems. We’re already inspiring computing students, educators and practitioners to use our powerful ideas and devices for a common good.

The possibilities for computing and technology are endless, and can be harnessed if we expose students to this field. Encourage every student to do the same. Help us build a global compute-for-good network.

Santosh Vempala teaches computer science at the College of Computing at Georgia Tech.