Computer Scientist Valerie Barr Quoted in the Atlantic
Valerie Barr, Margaret Hamilton Distinguished Professor of Computer Science.
Valerie Barr, Margaret Hamilton Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Bard College, was quoted in an Atlantic article about the importance of studying computer science in the age of AI. The article examines how AI may be changing the landscape of coding, but does not negate the need for computer scientists—in fact, the proliferation of AI code may require more professionals who have a deep understanding of computer systems. “I’m back to how I taught in the 1980s, when we didn’t have laptops and there was one computer lab for the whole campus,” said Barr. She told the Atlantic that she now assigns coursework largely on paper in her introductory class, and believes that students who learn coding fundamentals the old fashioned way will come out ahead. “You cannot make effective use of AI tools if you don’t know something about what you’re asking the tools to do.”
The Computer Science Program at Bard focuses on the fundamental ideas of computer science and introduces students to multiple programming languages and paradigms, covering theoretical, applied, and systems-oriented topics. Most courses include hands-on projects so that students can learn by building, and by participating in research projects in laboratories devoted to cognition, computational biology, robotics, and symbolic computation.
Post Date: 06-09-2026
The Computer Science Program at Bard focuses on the fundamental ideas of computer science and introduces students to multiple programming languages and paradigms, covering theoretical, applied, and systems-oriented topics. Most courses include hands-on projects so that students can learn by building, and by participating in research projects in laboratories devoted to cognition, computational biology, robotics, and symbolic computation.
Post Date: 06-09-2026