Working at the forefront of U.S. computer science education, Maria Klawe sees many reasons for excitement and optimism about the future of technology research – but also ample cause for concern.

“I believe that the global impact of computing technologies in the next decade, everywhere from education to healthcare to the environment, is going to be even greater than what we’ve seen in the last 20 years,” says Klawe, dean of engineering at Princeton University and a featured participant in the sixth annual Microsoft Research Faculty Summit unfolding Monday and Tuesday (July 18-19) at Microsoft’s corporate headquarters. “So there’s never been a greater need for fresh talent, ideas and creativity in this field.

“Yet we’re seeing sharp declines in government funding for academic research in the technology realm as well as lagging interest among U.S. students in pursuing computer science degrees in this country,” she notes. “That’s the crisis we’re facing, and it’s bigger than academia or industry or government alone can solve. We must work together.”

Fostering collaboration and a greater sense of vibrancy in technology are prominent themes at next week’s Faculty Summit, which is expected to bring together 400 academic researchers and other invitees to explore future directions in computing. Klawe and others planning to attend say Microsoft Research continues to play a leading role in these efforts through a broad array of initiatives that encourage different technology industry members to focus on their common ground.