Scientist Jobs San Diego

In a special Labor Day report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, science writer Gary Robbins noted that jobs for computer scientists are "hotter than a supernova" these days. He reported that the annual salaries for young computer scientists range from $86, 688 to $102, 288, and he profiled Computer Science and Engineering teaching professor Mia Minnes, who joined the CSE department full-time this year after spending four years as a visiting professor in UC San Diego's Department of Mathematics.

Minnes (pictured at right) earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from Cornell University in 2008, then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT for two years. As described in the UT San Diego, even before joining the department full-time, Minnes taught many of the introductory courses in computer science, and has played a critical role with CSE Prof. Mohan Paturi in developing the Summer Program for Incoming Students (SPIS), a five-week summer residential program now in its second year. She is also the faculty sponsor for the Summer Internship Symposium, highlighting connections between academics and industry projects. In its profile, the newspaper noted boldly that, "You're almost guaranteed a job if you earn a degree in computer science. The field is hotter than a supernova due to the growth of the Internet, social media, applications and products ranging from guidance systems for missiles to larger-than-life toy robots to remotely deployed earthquake sensors."

Those opportunities are also boosting demand from students, with undergraduate enrollment in the UC San Diego computer science program topping 2, 000 students for the first time ever, more than double what it was three years ago. And as the newspaper article pointed out, the "growth has created opportunity for new professors like Mia Minnes."