Beheshti: “Cool Factor” Sparking Interest in Computer Science

Newsday interviewed Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., about the growing demand for well-trained engineers. Engineering firms across the country and on Long Island are challenged with a shortage of experienced engineers, spurred by factors such as a workforce nearing retirement, a nationwide decline in students pursuing engineering degrees, and growing competition from the technology sector’s artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Beheshti noted that, while New York Tech’s engineering programs continue to see healthy enrollment, the “visibility and cool factor” of computer science, thanks to the prominence of big tech companies and popular culture, has resonated with a larger audience than engineering. “With AI, gaming, apps, and social media…naturally, high school students get exposed a lot more to [computer science],” he said.