UW Seeks to Partner with Microsoft, Chinese Universities for New Immersive Master’s Program

Puget Sound Business Journal | Jacob Demmitt | Jan. 15

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/01/uw-seeks-to-partner-with-microsoft-chinese.html

“The University of Washington wants to try something new in a test program on the Eastside – partner with local businesses and other international universities to prepare students for the startup grind…UW is part of the national trend of state schools struggling to find funding. Meanwhile, tech companies in the region struggle to find enough workers to fill their open positions. Programs like this could help build up the pipeline of talent in the region, while providing real-world training for students…The program, which will look like a master’s degree, is going to be a joint effort between UW, large local companies like Microsoft and international universities, particularly around China, according to UW officials…The goal, according to Shwetak Patel, is to challenge the pervasive notion that higher education is no longer the place entrepreneurs should to go for the skills they’ll need to start a company…The program is for students who already have a bachelor’s degree. The university hasn’t found a space for the program yet, but the plan is to open in 2016 in Bellevue.”

 

Grow Surges in Silicon Valley, but Tech Talent Pool Limited

San Jose Mercury News | George Avalos | Jan. 14

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27322085/growth-surges-silicon-valley-but-tech-talent-pool

“Innovation industries, which include Internet, information services, software, biotech, cleantech, medical telecommunications, aerospace, computer and electronics manufacturing, and medical devices, account for 26 percent of the workforce in Silicon Valley. By comparison, no other region in the United States depends on tech to that extent; the innovation sector accounts for 18 percent of the jobs in Boston, just over 16 percent in Seattle and Austin, Texas, 15 percent in Southern California and 14 percent in New York City…Sustaining that economic strength could be tough, however, in part because of the region’s struggles to educate Bay Area students in the so-called STEM subjects …What’s more, other regions of the United States have begun to challenge Silicon Valley’s tech prowess. ‘New York City is becoming a major competitor for Silicon Valley,’ said Doug Henton, chief executive of Palo Alto-based Collaborative Economics, an economic research firm that prepared the study. Boston, Southern California, Seattle and Austin were also cited as key innovation hubs…In 2013, the study determined, 3 percent of Silicon Valley’s new residents came from other parts of the United States, while 97 percent came from other countries…High home prices and traffic congestion discourage skilled workers from moving here. During 2014, the median home price in Silicon Valley was $470 a square foot, double the $230 a square foot in New York City and Boston and 146 percent higher than Seattle.”

 

Raking in the Green in the Emerald City: Seattle Ranks No. 3 in the Country for Wage Growth

Puget Sound Business Journal | Rachel Lerman | Jan. 14

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/01/raking-in-the-green-in-the-emerald-city-seattle.html?ana=e_tf&s=newsletter&ed=2015-01-14&u=ilbLUrKrU2/jjJJmX4zKbA08463807&t=1421274482

“Seattle is a great city to work in if you’re looking to make the big bucks. The Emerald City ranked No. 3 on Payscale’s list of cities that saw the highest wage growth in the last few months of 2014.

Seattle saw an annual wage growth of 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter, according to Seattle-based PayScale’s research…National wages were also up — they increased by 0.6 percent during the quarter, and PayScale research showed a 1.8 percent national increase over the last 12 months…Planning to ask for a raise? It may be best to wait a few months. PayScale estimates that wages will stay steady through the first quarter of the year.”

 

The 10 Best Cities for People in Science and Tech

Business Insider | Madeline Stone | Jan. 14

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-best-cities-for-people-in-science-and-tech-2015-1?utm_content=buffer327cf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

“Jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math are growing faster than in any other sector. In fact, STEM jobs are expected to expand 1.7 times more quickly than non-STEM professions between 2008 and 2018, according to estimates by the US Department of Commerce…Analysts at the personal-finance site WalletHub looked at the country’s 100 largest metropolitan areas to determine which had the best job markets for people in STEM occupations. They considered factors like job openings per capita, percentage of STEM workers, STEM employment growth, unemployment rate, annual median wage, and housing affordability to determine their rankings…1. Houston 2. Austin 3. Raleigh 4. Denver 5. Omaha 6. Seattle 7. Oklahoma City 8. Salt Lake 9. Columbus 10. Cincinnati.”

 

Washington State Could Enact Tougher Patent Troll Rules

Puget Sound Business journal | Ben Miller | Jan. 14

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/01/washington-state-could-enact-tougher-patent-troll.html?ana=e_tf&s=newsletter&ed=2015-01-14&u=ilbLUrKrU2/jjJJmX4zKbA08463807&t=1421274518

“Washington state could enact tougher rules against patent trolls if the state Legislature passes the Patent Troll Prevention Act. Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office is proposing the legislation, which is being sponsored in the Senate by Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, and in the House by Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma. Ferguson said in a statement that ‘patent trolls target and swamp small businesses with deceptive demand letters’ and estimated that nationally, patent trolls cost the economy $29 billion in direct legal costs.”

 

Bipartisan Senate Bills Would Increase Visas and Green Cards for High-Tech Workers

Wall Street Journal | Laura Meckler | Jan. 13

http://www.wsj.com/articles/bipartisan-senate-bills-would-increase-visas-and-green-cards-for-high-tech-workers-1421191748

“Two bipartisan bills in the Senate would increase the number of visas and green cards available to high-tech workers, as lawmakers in both houses of Congress begin to sort out what is politically doable on the contentious issue of immigration. The Senate bills are an effort to alleviate a pent-up demand for visas, particularly among technology companies that say they are losing good workers who are educated in the U.S. and then forced to leave. The first bill, introduced Tuesday by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah), Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) and four others, would increase the number of high-skilled visas available each year to as many as 195,000 from the current cap of 65,000 and otherwise allow for more legal immigration to the U.S. They call the measure the Immigration Innovation Act, or I-Squared Act. A second measure, backed by Sens. Jerry Moran (R., Kan.), Mark Warner (D., Va.) and four others would create an “entrepreneur’s visa” to allow people who want to start companies to stay in the country… High-tech bills also spark opposition from some concerned that new workers will provide unhealthy competition for American workers who are already struggling… The legislation would increase the supply of green cards in several ways. It would allow the government to issue extra green cards, drawing from past years when the full allotment wasn’t used and would give certain people green cards without regard to the cap, including people who earn advanced degrees in science, math and engineering.”

 

 

MOOCs Aim to Strengthen Computer Science and Physics Teaching in Middle and High Schools

Forbes | Maria Klawe | Jan. 13

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaklawe/2015/01/13/moocs-aim-to-strengthen-computer-science-and-physics-teaching-in-middle-and-high-schools/

“When massive open online courses (MOOCs) took off three years ago, many educators had high hopes that these courses could expand and diversify access to education… as an educational technology, the MOOC platform offers possibility. MOOC providers are branching out into new areas, and courses have grown to include a wide variety of courses that span academia and professional development. One area where they can have an enormous impact is increasing the percentage of women and people of color who study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). We must begin to address the challenges facing these groups earlier in their educational lives. It is an enormous challenge. While women and minorities are making progress in a few areas of STEM, their numbers are still abysmally low in computer science and physics… How do we spark interest and nurture ability in CS and physics in these underrepresented groups? One way to build interest is to introduce students to these subjects earlier in their education, in the K–12 pipeline. Research shows that early exposure to science and math classes increases the likelihood that students will pursue STEM fields in college.”

 

University of Washington Hires Architect to Develop Plans for New Computer Science Building

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | Jan. 9

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/university-washington-hires-architect-develop-plans-new-computer-science-building

“Plans for a new computer science and engineering building at the University of Washington are moving forward. The UW Board of Regents on Thursday approved funding to hire Seattle-based LMN Architects and begin developing a plan for the school’s second CSE building. The UW houses its programming students at the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering, which opened a decade ago but is currently operating at full capacity. As we noted last year, demand for computer science degrees is reaching all-time highs. In fact, there are more than 1,000 people enrolled in the intro to computer science class this winter quarter… “We’re firmly committed to responding to the ever-increasing demand for computer science education by students and by employers,” said Ed Lazowska, the department’s Bill & Melinda Gates Chair… Lazowska said that the department wants to double its current 300 degrees per year to 600, and also dramatically increase the availability of upper-division courses to non-majors… If the move to the Allen Center in 2003 is any indication, a new building could do wonders for the CSE program. The Allen Center helped the UW become a nationally-recognized place for CSE education and supported projects involving education, healthcare technology, energy savings in the home, modern automobiles, big data, and a whole lot more.”