Zvi Galil

In May 2013, Georgia Tech together with its partners, Udacity and AT&T, announced a new online master’s degree in computer science delivered through the platform popularized by massively open online courses (MOOCs). This new online MS in CS (OMSCS) costs less than $7,000 total, compared to a price tag of $40,000 for an MS CS at comparable public universities and upwards of $70,000 at private universities.

The first-of-its-kind program was launched in January 2014 and has sparked a worldwide conversation about higher education in the 21st century. President Barack Obama has praised OMSCS by name twice, and over 1,200 news stories mentioned the program. It’s been described as a potential “game changer” and “ground zero of the revolution in higher education”. Harvard University researchers concluded that OMSCS is “the first rigorous evidence showing an online degree program can increase educational attainment” and predicted that OMSCS will single-handedly raise the number of annual MS CS graduates in the United States by at least 7 percent.

OMSCS started in 2014 with small enrollment of 380; in fall 2024 semester enrollment is over 16,000; OMSCS is apparently the biggest MS in CS program in the world. So far over 12,500 students have graduated from OMSCS, over 7,000 graduated in 2022 the last 3 years. The number of applications to OMSCS keeps rising. In the 2023-24 academic year there were over 10,000 applications, 34% higher that the record in the year before. The program has also paved the way for more than 70 similar, MOOC-based affordable online MS programs. In November 2023, a Forbes article described OMSCS as the best degree program ever (The Greatest Degree Program Ever (forbes.com). There is a shortage of undreds f thousands computing professionals in the US. Therefore, OMSCS is satisfying a great national need. Starting in 2017, Georgia Tech expanded its online offerings to its undergraduate computer science students. The talk will describe the OMSCS program, how it came about, its first ten years, and what Georgia Tech has learned from the OMSCS experience. It will also discuss the speaker’s vision of the future of higher education with much larger role for online learning.

Biography:

Dr. Zvi Galil earned BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics from Tel Aviv University, both summa cum laude, and his PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University. After a post-doctorate in IBM’s Thomas J. Watson research center, he returned to Israel and joined the faculty of Tel-Aviv University, serving as chair of the Computer Science department in 1979-1982. In 1982 he joined the faculty of Columbia University, serving as the chair of the Computer Science Department in 1989-1994 and as Morris and Alma A. Schapiro Dean of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science in 1995-2007. In 2007 Galil returned to Tel Aviv University and served as president. In 2009 he resigned as president and returned to the faculty as a professor of Computer Science. In July 2010 he became The John P. Imlay, Jr. Dean of Computing at Georgia Tech. In June 2019 he stepped down as dean and became the Frederick G. Storey Chair in Computing and Executive Advisor to Online Programs. Dr. Galil was a moving force behind the establishment of Georgia Tech’s online masters in computer science (OMSCS), which by Fall 2024 had grown to more than 15,000 students representing more than 100 countries. Inside Higher Education noted that OMSCS “suggests that institutions can successfully deliver high-quality, low-cost degrees to students at scale.” The Chronicle of Higher Ed noted that the OMSCS “may have the best chance of changing how much students pay for a traditional degree.” Dr. Galil’s research areas have been the design and analysis of algorithms, complexity, cryptography and experimental design. He has written over 200 scientific papers, edited 5 books, and has given more than 250 lectures in 30 countries. He is a fellow of the ACM and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He has earned an honorary degree from the University of Waterloo Canda, and more recently from Columbia University.

Address:Georgia Tech, , New York, United States

Tracy Van Brakle

Open-source plays a critical role in the evolution of open, programmable, secure 5G/NextG “FutureG” as specified and envisioned within 3GPP and the O-RAN ALLIANCE. A key enabler of the O-RAN vision is the development of an open-source stack, integrating OpenAirInterface (OAI) and/or the open-source version of srsRAN as the foundation for OCUDU (Open Centralized Unit Distributed Unit). This approach ensures diverse implementations while maintaining compliance with open and standardized APIs, reinforcing the principles of modularity and vendor neutrality within the FutureG ecosystem.

From a research and development perspective, open-source frameworks enable academic institutions, enterprises, and telecom operators to collaborate, experiment, and prototype new technologies without proprietary constraints. This collaboration leads to rapid advancements in AI-driven network automation, energy-efficient architectures, and enhanced security features, all of which are crucial for FutureG networks. For example, open-source RIC platforms facilitate real-time testing of xApps and rApps, enabling the fine-tuning of network intelligence and optimization strategies.

In testing and validation, open-source initiatives provide a common reference architecture that ensures consistency and compliance with O-RAN and 3GPP specifications. By integrating open-source implementations of SMO, 5G Core, and RAN components, researchers and engineers can conduct interoperability testing, performance benchmarking, and security assessments across multi-vendor environments. This is essential for validating network functions before commercial deployment, reducing integration complexities, and fostering a robust and resilient network ecosystem.

Moreover, open-source fosters ecosystem-wide collaboration, where contributions from academia, industry, and regulatory bodies help shape future network standards. This shared innovation model accelerates the development of cutting-edge technologies, ensuring that FutureG networks remain adaptable to evolving use cases, including AI-driven automation, ultra-low latency applications, and enhanced security mechanisms. Ultimately, the open-source approach aligns with the core principles of O-RAN: openness, intelligence, and disaggregation, paving the way for a more efficient and competitive telecom landscape.

Biography:

Tracy van Brakle, Visiting Research Consultant with WINLAB, Rutgers University, formerly an Expert Member of Technical Staff with AT&T, has been a co-chair and/or key contributor within mobile wireless open-source projects and standards development organizations for the past 10+ years. While with AT&T, she served as (1) the Technical Director and Principal Investigator of the NTIA PWSCIF project “ACCoRD” (Accelerating Compatibility and Commercialization of open RAN for Deployments); and (2) the PI of the NSF/DoD Convergence Accelerator Track G: Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure” project “INDIGO” (Intelligent Networks Designed and Integrated for Globalized Operations). Today, she is continuing as a co-PI and/or consultant with both projects along with a few others. Her primary focus area is integrating and ultimately commercializing open RAN technologies and open-source components using interfaces driven by GSMA, TMF, 3GPP and most recently O-RAN. She holds 17 active US patents in wireless technologies. Before joining AT&T, Tracy was a Senior Technologist with Goldman Sachs. She has been an IEEE member since 2016.

Address:New York, United States