WC Named to Yahoo's Most Wired List, Ranked #1 in Maryland

Chestertown, April 18 — Washington College placed at #38 in the nation on Yahoo's Most Wired Colleges list. According to the elite list, widely considered the authoritative source for rating the best campus technology in the U.S., Washington College was also rated #1 in the state of Maryland.

Yahoo's list is determined by how colleges rate according to certain criteria important to students, including the capabilities to allow students to apply electronically, offer Internet access in classrooms, offer students more than 25MB of server disk space, and provide computer equipment or labs in a variety of buildings around the campus.

The list specifically cited the Washington College web site, pointing out that the Mellon Grant portion of the site showcased digital projects that students had created.

Distinguished Computer Scientist Helps College Celebrate New Major

Chestertown, MD — Jack Minker, who helped establish the study of computer science at the University of Maryland in 1974, will speak at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Washington College. In his talk on the history and development of digital computers through the 1950s, Minker will trace the scientific advances that ledto the development of the modern electronic computer, starting with Euclid and Aristotle and including the surprising influence of the Jacquard Loom for weaving patterns in cloth. He will discuss the controversy over who developed the first digital computer, the influence of founders such as Admiral Grace Hopper and Alan Turing, and the role that computers played in code breaking during World War II. His slide-lecture is free and open to the public.

Minker appears as part of Washington College's celebration of its newly announced major in computer science, previously offered as a minor at the school. Assistant Professor Austin Lobo says, "Washington College is committed to a strong computer science major grounded in a liberal arts tradition that values the historical perspective. Dr. Minker is a recognized expert in computer science as well as an elder statesman in the field. We're proud to have him speak on campus."

Minker is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland College Park in the Department of Computer Science and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He has written more than 160 technical articles for refereed journals, books and conferences and is considered the founder of several fields within the computer science. He is also a tireless worker for human rights.

Maryland Association Honors Educational Excellence at October Meeting

Chestertown, MD — When the Maryland Association of Higher Education convenes at Washington College on Oct. 15, attendees can look forward to more than standard conference fare. They'll be treated to a showcase of exemplary educational programs from around the state, one of which includes following the Mongol hordes at Washington College. The hordes aren't roaming the campus. They're safely confined to an animated Web-based map, one of several Assistant Professor Clayton Black uses in his course on early Russian history. The College's use of Web technology in instruction was chosen as an exemplary program by the association.

Eleven Washington College professors work with Nancy Cross, instructional technologist, and Gerry Waterson, assistant director of academic computing, to develop Web-based courses. Their initiatives and computer software training for the faculty and staff of the College are funded by $300,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that supports cost-effective use of technology in teaching. Black says that Web-based instructional technology enables his students to visualize subtle historical points and encourages them to present their best writing for papers posted on the course site.

Also recognized at the conference will be programs from the University of Maryland, College Park; Prince George's Community College; Carroll Community College; Frostburg State University; and Salisbury State University.

Members of the Maryland Association of Higher Education exchange ideas for improving higher education in the state. At the Oct. 15 conference, the MAHE will also announce the winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award.