Ph.D. (Computer Science)

B.S. (Computer Systems Technology)

Undergraduate Program Director

Lead and direct all undergraduate programs in the department of computer science. This includes overseeing the curriculum, ABET accreditation, advising, and student success.

Teaching Assistant Professor

Primary responsibilities include teaching and advising students, as well as service to the department/university, involvement with student organizations, outreach to the community, and research.

Graduate Research Assistant

• CSUSM subaward (2017) – This subaward is to extend the Data Explorer on physport.org to allow educators to create and analyze custom assessments. This will provide an easy to use interface to let researchers to examine their experimental assessments and allow departments to input and share data about their classes.
• Capability Inference based on Dynamic Topic Modeling and Text Information Extraction (2016 – 2017) – Co-system architect with responsibilities such as system design, data extraction, modeling, and integration, as well as training and supervising undergraduate researchers in machine learning and text analytics for a project funded through Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.
• NSF WIDER (2013 – 2016) – Lead developer and in charge of supervising and training undergraduate researchers for a web application known as the Data Explorer with the American Association for Physics Teachers (AAPT). The Data Explorer is an analytics portal that gives educators the ability to gain insights from assessment data, using online information retrieval and visualization through a federated display. This creates a streamlined process for users to upload assessment data to explore. The overall objective of this project is to let educators from all levels (high school, undergraduate, graduate, etc.) to interact with their data and anonymous summaries of data from other instructors in a usable, efficient, and secure way that has previously been a tedious, and sometimes impossible, task. The focus of this research is to facilitate importing, validating, integrating, and visualizing assessment data. This will be expanded for custom assessments, as well as other academic areas, such as computer science, in the future.
• Sandia National Lab (2012) – Worked closely with Dr. Mitch Neilsen to create cross platform installers for software created as a collaboration with Sandia National Labs.

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Primary responsibilities included holding office hours, grading, lecturing, and supervising laboratories. Courses taught include: CIS 102-104 (spreadsheet, word, and database applications), CIS 200 (programming fundamentals), and CIS 415 (ethics and computing technology).

Writing Center Tutor

Provided tutoring services to students in need of help with writing essays, research papers, cover letters, resumes, and other documents

Technology Intern

Worked as a computer intern in the CRCL (Corporate Regulatory Certification Laboratory). Deployed and developed a Microsoft Silverlight web application. Researched to improve software systems used by the CRCL.

CIS 115 - Introduction to Computing Science

A survey of the discipline of Computing Science and its interaction with other disciplines, incorporating historical development, theories, and tools of Computing Science (algorithm design and programming). Topics include: mechanical and digital computers, computational thinking, security, simulation, data science, web technologies, and more. Students will be able to explore real-world problems within computer science and research current topics.

CIS 300 - Data and Program Structures

A study of common data and program structures together with associated algorithms. Topics include interfaces, design patterns, arrays, stacks, queues, lists, trees, hash tables, recursion, binary search, and tree traversals. Experience with both use and implementation of these structures and algorithms using a modern programming language. Discussion of trade-offs involving performance and software maintainability. Currently, this course is taught in C#.

CIS 560 - Database System Concepts

Concepts, approaches, and techniques in database management. Representation of information as data, data storage techniques, foundations of logical data models, data retrieval, database design, transaction management, integrity and security.

CIS 595 - IS Cooperative Internship

The intern works in a professional capacity in various areas of Information Systems such as web development, programming, application development, or information technology. Student is supervised by a professional and a faculty member. Written documentation and oral presentation of project goals, experiences, and accomplishments.

CC 710 - Introduction to Computing for Educators

This course is a first step in preparing educators to teach computer science topics at the PreK-12 level. It provides content area knowledge including the historical context in which computing developed, an overview of the modern field of computing and its impacts on society. It also explores theories of computational thinking and learning, computer science education research, and the Kansas PreK-12 computer science standards.

CC 730 - Computer Programming for Educators

The course introduces PreK-12 educators to computer programming using one of several programming languages. Interactive lessons and engaging projects reinforce new skills and concepts while exploring pedagogical strategies for teaching programming. This course covers the basic concepts of programming, from variables and control flow to functions, objects, and simple algorithms.

CC 755 - Data Structures and Algorithms for Educators II

This course provides PreK-12 educators the content knowledge necessary for teaching advanced data structures, such as trees, graphs, and heaps, along with pedagogical approaches for teaching the associated concepts and skills. Several new algorithms using these data structures are covered. Students also learn software development methods and software engineering fundamentals and use those skills to develop projects of increasing size and scope effectively.

Starbase

Planned and taught an hour introduction to programming lesson to 4th-6th grade students from the Manhattan Kansas Starbase program. In a pair programming exercise, students translated the sheet music of the song Ode to Joy using the Scratch programming language.

Boy Scouts of America

Planned and taught a half day workshop for the Boy Scouts robotics badge. Scouts learned robotic fundamentals, including safety, design, programming, and applications.

GROW and EXCITE

Participated in outreach programs designed to engage young women in 6th-12th grade in STEM. As part of these programs, I taught lessons in storytelling, music, and artificial intelligence in the Scratch programming language.

CIS 415 - Ethics and Computing Technology

Ethics and Computing Technology covers ethical and moral issues that involve computing technologies and their impact on society. This class is given in two eight-week sections, leveraging a flipped classroom model and covering topics including basic ethical principles and theories, software engineering and ACM codes of ethics, privacy, cyber security, safety-critical software, and computing technologies in society. Served as a graduate teaching assistant for the first section, and am currently serving as an instructor for the second.

CIS 200 - Programming Fundamentals

Programming Fundamentals is an introduction to Java programming with a small focus on C#. Students focus on learning how to program in Java as well as general programming practices and methodology. Responsibilities included teaching multiple lab sections, proctoring exams, grading, and holding regular office ours.

Computer Science Teachers Association

Kansas Chapter 

Association for Computing Machinery - SIGCSE

American Society for Engineering Education

Computer Science for All Consortium

Research Member 

Kevin and Jacquie Elmore - Carl and Mary Ice Teaching Scholar

Teaching Excellence Award

College of Engineering Team Award of Excellence

Kansas State Research Forum - 2nd place