COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M is nurturing and inspiring the next generation of computer scientists in the lone star state with the help from some two-year institutions.
Texas A&M University's High-Performance Research Computing or HPRC recently worked with two Texas community colleges for a national science foundation-funded project.
Associate Director for user services and research at TAMU, Dhruva Chakravorty, oversaw the project.
"Computing is pervasive, the skills that are required and the job market," Chakravorty said. "There's a dire need for people with computing skills today."
Coding, IT, cybersecurity, cloud resources computer science are all great carriers for people, but not everyone knows that is an option.
Daniel Mireles is a former community college student and now an electrical engineering student at Texas A&M University.
"I didn't know that I liked programming and computers until my junior year of college," Mireles said. "I think that the exposure to things like BRLCCS'S is working on is super important and can really help students."
HPRC partnered with South Plains College and San Jacinto College to offer the first building research innovations workshop.
These workshops are an innovative project that explores ways to improve the computing divide in higher education.
"We need more of this, there's just not enough and there's a need for skilled people in this field," Chakravorty said. "People are very passionate, who can do amazing things, they just don't have the right skills yet. So how do we upskill them or re-skill them? And get them into these positions."
A&M'S goal through this program is to create a model for students of all ages to get into computer science careers. HPRC and its partners are currently looking to hold their next workshop in the Spring of 2022.