Teaching
Fall 2017 to Fall 2024: CS 200 Programming I
Fall 2015 to Spring 2017: CS 302 Introduction to Programming
Carolyn Rosner Award for Excellence in Teaching 2020
Interests
I'm interested in the learning and teaching of Computer Science. Scientists have been learning a lot about learning and engineers are developing many new technologies. There seems to be potential for significant improvements in education for many.
Biography
I have been writing computer programs professionally for over 25 years and teaching in various roles and formats for the past 15 years. As a member of small teams in a large telecommunications company, I've analyzed, designed and implemented call record processing systems using C and Sybase on Unix. As an early member of a startup company, I designed and implemented Windows database marketing software with object-oriented Pascal (Delphi). In 2002, my wife and I co-founded an eLearning business, Pronto Spanish, serving the occupational Spanish language learning market, where I led all technical efforts including the requirements, design and development of a custom learning management system using PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, and other web technologies. For many projects, I have utilized Java, which I first earned certification for in 2000.
Being a software developer for over 25 years has been very interesting and continually challenging, which I really enjoy. I find it exciting to be a part of helping change how we live and work and helping others develop these skills.
Education
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2014
- Major: Computer Science, minor: Educational Psychology
- Dissertation: A Computer Learning Environment for Novice Java Programmers that Supports Cognitive Load Reducing Adaptations and Dynamic Visualizations of Computer Memory
- Tool: Read Java program simulator
- Advisor: Susan McRoy
- Emphasis: Artificial Intelligence
- Thesis: Natural Language Processing and the Minimalist Program
- Advisor: Jugal Kalita
- Award: Outstanding Graduate Student, Department of Computer Science, 1997
B.S., Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, 1992
Personal
I enjoy being a husband, father, coach, traveler, and host for exchange students. I grew up in Colorado, but have lived in Wisconsin since 2002 with my wife and our three children.