A Taste of Scala

Abstract: Scala is a programming languages that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and blends both the object-oriented and functional paradigms. It is attracting increased attention in the big data community because the Apache Spark project is written in Scala, and the functional Scala API is an elegant way to access Spark. In this talk, aimed at programmers with some Java background, I will give an overview of the language, emphasizing both the OO and functional characteristics. While not a language tutorial, this talk will help you decide whether to invest in learning this language, and also understand where Scala is positioned in the software engineering and big data markets.

Speaker: Brad Rubin has been a professor in the Graduate Programs in Software department in the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas for the past 11 years. He is a founding faculty member of the Center of Excellence for Big Data, and teaches a course in Big Data Architecture, along with courses in Computer Security and Software Analysis & Design. He co-leads the Twin Cities Hadoop User Group. Previously, he spent most of his industry career at IBM in Rochester, MN. Brad has degrees in Computer and Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana and a doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Parking: There are two options to pay for parking in the adjacent Anderson ramp. You can either enter/exit with a credit card, or you can take a ticket and use the pay kiosk on the northeast corner of the ramp to get an exit ticket.

Food: Pizza and drinks, first come first serve, starting at 6:30PM provided by the University of St. Thomas, Graduate Programs in Software.

Map: http://bit.ly/RCtaTI