There’s an interesting phenomena here in the Pacific Northwest: rain shadows. They happen just east of the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Mountains, where residents enjoy a climate significantly warmer and drier than anywhere else in our region. And they happen in the communities around Microsoft, where kids grow up with a much keener understanding of the learning and life opportunities awarded by technology than many of their peers around the country.

Students growing up in the rain shadow of Microsoft (and Amazon, Expedia, etc.) are in daily contact with the wealth and knowledge that technology brings.  When my oldest son was 9, he went to visit his father at Starwave and me at Microsoft.  Surrounded by some of the most innovative minds and products in the world, he noticed how nice the cars were in the parking lot and decided he’d like to work in technology when he grew up.
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September 17, 2009

Fear and anxiety are less present in the CS and Engineering departments of most universities than in the past few years.  Why?  Their enrollment is not shrinking anymore, and even growing slightly at the top universities.  It remains to be seen if retention of those students already enrolled will be good.  It’s good news overall  – the large research institutes will continue to get research funding, and will have the students available to do the work. The small schools won’t lose their faculty because their departments are under-enrolled.  So why is there still an issue about the pipeline?
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