Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 13:08:32 -0500 From: "Joule Jiao" To: Subject: interview Thank you for this interview opportunity. Your time is much appreciated. What is your occupation and job title? Professor of Computer Science at Florida State University I teach and do research in new computing technologies Did this career choice develop from a childhood interest? Explain. I liked computing when I was an undergraduate. I was very good at programming. When I was your age, computers were very limited and no opportunity to use What was your motivation for pursuing this career? I started doing mathematics and physics as a career I always used computers but started by using computers to deduce results about fundamental physics. At what age did you decide that this would be your career field? I switched to computer science when I was about 38 What is the greatest satisfaction you get out of your job? Finding ways to develop computer programs that can be used to do interesting things Having new ideas that give good results What specific academic and personal skills are involved in your = occupation that are applied daily? Understanding latest developments in Computer Technology Good skills at mathematics Good skills at programming Ability to analyse problems and see key issues One must "guess correctly" as to what new ideas will work and what are red herrings What are the pro's and con's of your occupation? A lot of opportunity but must work hard and be a little lucky You work with a lot of clever people who are interesting to talk to Discovery is exciting -- this is 2% of joy; 98% is hard work Given your education, are there a number of other related occupations = that you could enter into? Describe. Any scientific field Is this the job you had planned to hold when you initally made your = choice to enter this career field? If not, explain. Yes Have you had previous occupations in this career field? If so, describe = your previous jobs. I had the same occupation at other Universities: Syracuse, Caltech What thoughts do you have on the computer science industry today? Good area to work in. "Hype" is declining but opportunities still great for those with good preparation What changes have you observed in the industry during your career and = what changes do you see occurring in the near-future? The field is continuing to advance as technology implies computers and networks will get more powerful This should continue for another 10 years with little decrease in pace What colleges and schools (higher education) have you attended? Cambride University England, Caltech pasadena, Syracuse University Florida State University Are there schools you would recommend for students pursuing a career in = computer science? MIT Stanford CMU UC Berkeley What advice have you for high school students planning to enter the = computer science field? Learn to program very well What would you recommend for students to get a "headstart" in pursuing = their career? Get an edge over other other students. Work hard to really masters basics of field. Be totally familiar with computers, programming and internet