May 22, 1996

SAS Institute Supports Computer Scientist to Work on Computer-Human Interfaces

As people depend more on their computers for information and entertainment, they increasingly encounter those infuriating moments when software requiring quirky commands stops them cold.

A unique industry/academia partnership between SAS Institute, Inc., of Cary, North Carolina, and the Computer Science Department at NC State could one day lead to more effective computer-human interfaces and thus less stress for computer users.

The company and the university will jointly support a tenure-track faculty position in computer-human interfaces, beginning in August.

According to Dr. Alan L. Tharp, head of the Computer Science Department at NC State, the partnership is unprecedented because SAS Institute, one of the world's ten largest independent software companies, is doing more than simply endowing the position. Software developers at the company will actually work with the faculty member as he pursues his research. Tharp said the arrangement is the first of its kind for NC State.

Robert St. Amant, currently at the University of Massachusetts, will teach courses and conduct research in designing effective user-computer interfaces at NC State and will assist user-interface design at SAS Institute. Additionally, he will facilitate technology transfer between the university and the company.

St. Amant's current work focuses on developing a system that shares responsibility for decision-making with the human user. Among the issues he will consider are how the system should make its decisions, when the system should take initiative and when it should consult the user, how the user can guide the system when it makes mistakes, and how the system will present its decisions and results.

"We hope that this joint effort will help students at NC State develop a superior understanding of the User Interface discipline," said Keith Collins, research and development strategist for SAS Institute. "NC State is well-positioned to offer a solid multidisciplinary UI curriculum because of synergies derived from its strong programs in computer science, design, psychology and technical writing."

An arrangement such as this is crucial, Tharp said, for universities to continue their missions of teaching, research and outreach in times of tightening budgets.

"Universities are looking for nontraditional partnerships in this funding environment," Tharp said. "Without the support from SAS Institute, we would not have been able to hire a faculty member in this area, and there would have been a gap in the courses and knowledge we could offer our students."

/ News Index / News Archives Index /