LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., 5 March 2021 – Professor Charles Weems, of the College of Information and Computer Sciences, UMass Amherst (CICS) has been named the 2021 recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Taylor L. Booth Education Award.
The awards committee cited Weems, co-author of 28 textbooks who has taught computer science at UMass Amherst for 41 years, for his “outstanding contributions to computer science education worldwide spanning four decades, through numerous textbooks, and curriculum development efforts.”
The recognition follows his receiving the 2018-2019 UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award, the most prestigious teaching award given by the university. In addition to his student-celebrated work in the classroom, Weems has worked with the computer science curriculum committee for over 25 years, leading it through major curriculum revisions.
“Chip’s contributions to education, both on our campus and for the broader universe of computer science learners, are critical at a time when computing is an increasingly essential part of life and industry,” says Laura Haas, dean of CICS. “His work on curricula ensures that students have the foundational knowledge they need to contribute and lead in their careers and in the modern economy.”
In addition to his service at UMass Amherst, Weems helps lead the NSF-funded Center for Parallel and Distributed Computing Curriculum Development and Educational Resources (CDER), a project to develop pioneering teaching methods to transform computer science education. His work on the CDER curriculum was credited in the 2013 ACM computer science curriculum and has influenced the AP Computer Science Principles course.
Weems has served on the curriculum working group, and chaired the diversity and inclusion committee, for the IEEE Technical Committee on Parallel Processing, and chaired the IEEE International Parallel & Distributed Processing Symposium three times, greatly expanding its workshops. In 2002 he helped found a local Waldorf high school, creating and teaching a developmentally based four-year computer science curriculum, and has mentored other schools in implementing it.
Weems is the second faculty member of CICS to receive the Taylor L. Booth Education Award, given to individuals who have an outstanding record in computer science and engineering education, following the 2001 award to Distinguished University Professor Jim Kurose.
Weems is a Senior Member of the IEEE, an ACM Distinguished Educator, and a member of the Computer Science Teachers Association. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from Oregon State University in 1977 and 1979, and a doctorate in computer science from UMass Amherst in 1984.
The Taylor L. Booth Education Award commemorates individuals who have an outstanding record in computer science and engineering education, as established by some of the following criteria: achievement as a teacher of renown in a relevant and applicable course; writing an influential text; leading, inspiring, or providing significant educational content during the creation of a curriculum in the field; and inspiring others to a career in computer science and engineering education.
The award is named after Taylor L. Booth, a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Connecticut who was instrumental in defining computer science and engineering curricula for program accreditation. His name was on the ballot as a candidate for president-elect of the Computer Society when he died of a heart attack in 1986.
The award consists of a bronze medal and $5,000 honorarium. Learn more about the Taylor L. Booth Education Award, including a list of past recipients.
About IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Computer Society is the world’s home for computer science, engineering, and technology. A global leader in providing access to computer science research, analysis, and information, the IEEE Computer Society offers a comprehensive array of unmatched products, services, and opportunities for individuals at all stages of their professional career. Known as the premier organization that empowers the people who drive technology, its unparalleled resources include international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, a unique digital library, standards, and training programs. Visit www.computer.org for more information.
