It's common knowledge that the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies use mainframe computing
platforms and that, as the baby-boomers leave the workforce, the pool of mainframe skills is shrinking. Yet, despite this
situation, not many universities expose their students to this critical computing environment. Professor Yoon is pro-actively
attacking this problem. He is helping his students, the industry, and other schools, as well, in what we call a "win-win-win"
endeavor.
Prof. Yoon worked with JP Morgan Chase and IBM to develop a new large-systems computing program at
Widener University featuring the IBM System Z9 mainframe. The program includes a large-scale computing
lab, mainframe courses, and hands-on lab assignments. Additionally, with other Widener faculty and Jeff Saltz
from JP Morgan Chase, Prof. Yoon led a panel discussion at the twelfth annual Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC)
about the role of large-scale computing in computer science education. They shared their experiences with this new program and their students' perceptions,
along with information about the courses on large-scale computing and examples of lab assignments.
Results:
Widener students are able to enroll in a semester-long course that provides both knowledge and experience
on a large-scale computing system. They won't just read about the mainframe; they will actually work with them
(physically not virtually) in their school's lab. This gives them a competitive advantage when seeking employment
with the world's most successful companies.
Benefits:
Beyond the obvious gains for the students at Widener in both job and internship opportunities, industry and academia
are also big winners. An appropriately skilled talent pool is a boon to industry, especially in this competitive market. And discussions, such as the panel on large-scale computing at the CCSC, helps to build an academic community that can openly share
course materials, ideas, experiences, and knowledge. |
