Computer Science 2008-2009
Overview
Union’s computer science program offers numerous choices. The major in computer science provides a solid foundation in fundamentals of computer science that prepares students for employment and for graduate school. Computer Engineering, offered jointly with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is an ABET-accredited engineering major that combines software and hardware design. For those who want to combine the study of computing with other subjects, there are interdepartmental majors or a minor in computer science. Our new digital art track, developed in cooperation with the Visual Arts department, allows students to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional artwork on computers, and incorporate computers and sensor technology into their artwork. We are also involved in the new Digital Media minor and the computation track of the Neuroscience major.
The department offers five introductory courses that focus on different application areas such as media computation, robotics, artificial intelligence, game development, and computational science. Mid-level and upper-level courses on the theory and practice of computer science cover a wide range of topics, including gaming, web programming, programming languages, operating systems, software engineering, databases, computer graphics, robotics, human-computer interaction, and parallel computing. We also offer non-major courses on computers and computing, and programming for the Web.
All students in the department do a capstone project under faculty supervision. The project may include participation in faculty research, an industry-sponsored design project, an interdisciplinary team project, or independent work on a topic of special interest. These projects may lead to honors theses, and may be combined with internships with
employers or summer research fellowships at Union.
The Union international-study program is particularly important for computer science, a field that has played a major role in building today’s networked world. In addition to Union’s terms abroad, computer science students can take part in exchange programs with technical universities in other countries.
Many students go on to master’s programs in computer science or business administration after completing their undergraduate degree. Some pursue part-time graduate study sponsored by their employers, and some enter full-time programs at graduate schools such as RPI, Rochester Institute of Technology, Duke, MIT, Yale, the University of Virginia, and the University of Cambridge. In general, our CS graduates find jobs with a broad spectrum of leading computer companies including IBM, Cisco, and Microsoft. Others work in information systems for companies such as General Electric, GlobalSpec and FactSet or take on a variety of challenges with consulting firms such as Cambridge Technology. Still others work for small start-up companies, many in the Schenectady area, which provide internship opportunities for our students.
The department members and their main areas of interest are:
Linda Almstead
Senior Lecturer
M.S., Union
Software engineering, numerical methods, Web design
Valerie Barr
Professor and Chair
Ph.D., Rutgers University
Software testing, verification and validation of language processing systems, gender and science
Aaron Cass
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts
Software engineering, software design
Chris Fernandes
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Database mediation, human-computer interaction, computational biology
David Hannay
Professor
Ph.D., RPI
Automata theory, management information systems, computer architecture
David Hemmendinger
Professor
Ph. D., Yale University
Programming languages, algorithms, concurrency, history of computing, hardware specification and verification
Lance Spallholz
Instructor
M.S., Union
Applications programming, system administration
Kristina Striegnitz
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Saarland University and University Henri Poincare Nancy 1
Natural language processing, multimodal interfaces, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction
Our program is supplemented by a number of cross-listed courses. Those on computer networks, digital logic design, and microprocessors are taught by members of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. Digital art courses are taught by Visual Arts faculty members.
In addition to teaching, faculty members conduct research in their areas of interest or engage in consulting. These activities provide numerous opportunities for student projects.
Computer science students may become members of the Phi Beta Kappa national honors society or of Sigma Xi, the national scientific research society.
Virtual Union is a student group that runs one of the larger computer systems on campus, maintains student web pages, and provides numerous opportunities for students to learn about and do system administration and web development.
The department has three computer laboratories equipped with 40 Linux workstations and Windows PCs, all available full-time to our students. We also have a robotics lab, a human-computer interaction lab, and a 50-cpu cluster computer. The College maintains additional PC labs and central computers. All of these systems are on the Internet, and student residence hall rooms have high-speed Internet connections that give them access to our computer labs.
PROGRAM STRENGTHS
- All major courses taught by full-time faculty members
- Faculty committed to undergraduate teaching and to close interaction with students
- Excellent computer science program which can be combined with other liberal arts disciplines
- Opportunities for independent research and for internships with major companies
- Up-to-date, fully-accessible computer resources
Initiatives for 2008-09
- Artificial Intelligence focused intro
- Sophomore research seminar, “Designing as if People Mattered”
- Bioinformatics course designed by CS and Biology
- Upper-level human-computer interaction course
- Upper-level parallel computing course
Initiatives in planning stages
- Collaboration with Modern Languages: “Who am I Really? Gender and Technology in a Media-Saturated World”
- Additional development of computational biology courses
- Development of cognitive science track involving CS, Philosophy, Psychology, and Neuroscience
- Collaborative development of social robotics curriculum with RPI and the University at Albany
- Computational science curriculum, developed in conjunction with Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics, and Physics departments
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.cs.union.edu
Valerie Barr
at cs-chair@union.edu
or (518) 388-6270