Trinity University Computer Science Department
New Student Orientation Newsletter

August 9, 2004

Introduction

Do you want to play with robots? Write programs that can think and learn on their own? Work on systems that combine off-the-shelf components to create the power of supercomputers? Design realistic-looking computer graphics that fool the eye?

Or, do you just want to learn to use your desktop computer better?

That's what the Computer Science department is here for.

Learn About Computer Science During New Student Orientation

Visit the Computer Science Department in Halsell 340 during the Professsional Interest Groups sessions from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 21 to meet the faculty and tour our labs. This session immediately follows the Academic Fair and Lunch at the Bell Center from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Take the Computer Skills Assesment Test

The Computer Science department offers CSCI-1300 Essential Computer Skills, a class that boosts your abilities with word processors, spreadsheets, databases, email, the web, and the ethical use of computers. To help your faculty advisor determine whether you need to take the class to satisfy the University's computing skills requirement, all students must take a Computer Skills assessment test from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, August 21 in Laurie Auditorium.

Meet the Faculty for Your First Year Computer Science Classes

• Ms. Lyn Belisle is a writer and an artist as well as a certified technology educator. She returns to Trinity (after earning a Master's degree in English here) to teach CSCI-1300 Essential Computer Skills.
• Dr. Maurice Eggen's research interests include parallel and distributed processing, numerical methods, algorithm design, and functional programming. In addition to his duties as department chair, he teaches CSCI-1320 Principles of Algorithm Design I and plays basketball at noon.
• Dr. Thomas Hicks's teaching interests involve databases, and web design, and CSCI-1194 Survey of Computer Science, a breadth-first course that introduces students to a wide range of experts, topics, and specialties.
• Dr. John Howland has a broad knowledge of the history of computing, which he incorporates into the class CSCI-1301 Great Ideas in Computer Science (with lab, CSCI-1101). His professional interests include functional programming languages, graphics, human-computer interfaces, and system administration.
• Ms. Ruth G. Jungman, in addition to her full-time job as an Instructional Technology Specialist with the Alamo Heights School District, teaches an evening section of CSCI-1300 Essential Computer Skills.
• Dr. Mark Lewis is a Trinity grad, and now teaches CSCI-1320 Principles of Algorithm Design I alongside his former professors. He combines his backgrounds in physics and computer science by writing number-crunching programs to study planetary rings. Like Dr. Eggen, Dr. Lewis also plays noon basketball.
• Dr. Paul Myers does research in artificial intelligence and teaches GNED 1300 First Year Seminar and CSCI-1304 Computers and Society. Challenge him to a game of Go, or ask him about his garage--which he converted into a Japanese tea room.
• Dr. Pat Semmes coordinates the Computer Skills program and teaches CSCI-1300 Essential Computer Skills. She enjoys math, baseball, developing new curriculum for Computer Skills, and going on walks with her dog, Lucy.

Get Involved in Research

Don't wait until you're a senior to get involved in research in Computer Science. Junior Robby Zinchak started doing robotics research as a first year student. Every year, our students travel to conferences to present papers on their reserach. To get a sense of the breadth and sophistication of the research you can do, have a look at last year's thesis topics:

• Jess Martin, “The Algorithmic Beauty of Buildings”
• Daniel Nevin, “State-Based Learning in a Distributed System for Real-Time Robotics Control”
• John Papazian, “Artificial Intelligence and the Stock Market”
• Jabbar Raisani, “Synthesizing Realistic Spine Motion Using Traditional Rig Controllers”
• Ryan Scholz, “A Voxel Approach to Haptically Rendering a Virtual Incision”
• Paul Schwarz, “A Perceptual Evaluation of Point-Based Object Representation”
• Christopher Smith, “A Computer-Go Board Evaluation Function”
• Theodore Wilmes, “The Development of a Real-Time Archaeological Data Visualization Tool”

Congratulations to Our Newest Author

Dr. Berna Massingill, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, is in the final stages of editing "Patterns for Parallel Programming," a book she co-authored with Dr. Timothy Mattson and Dr. Beverly Sanders. The book is a practical guide for researchers and programmers who want to learn to "think parallel" so they can take advantage of the increasing number of popular platforms that support parallel programming. In the spring, you might take CSCI-1323 Discrete Structures from Dr. Massingill.

Welcome Our Newest Faculty Member

Yu Zhang is joining the Department of Computer Science at Trinity University as an Assistant Professor, starting in August 2004. Ms. Zhang is expected to complete her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Texas A&M University in 2004. She has also earned M.S. and B.S. degrees in Computer Science from Central South University in China. Her primary research interests are intelligent agents, multi-agent systems, and distributed systems. For her dissertation, working under the supervision of Dr. Richard A. Volz, Ms. Zhang is introducing Proactive Communication for supporting effective communication in distributed agent teamwork. At Trinity this fall, Ms. Zhang will teach Principles of Algorithm Design I, Principles of Functional Languages, and a Seminar on Multi-Agent Systems.

Sign Up for Student Organizations and Competitions

Our student chapter of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) meets regularly during the school year. Watch the Halsell building for signs about upcoming meetings. Students are also invited to try out for the ACM and TopCoder programming competitions. In the past, Trinity teams have placed highly against graduate programs and teams from much larger schools. Dr. Mark Lewis is the advisor and coach, and hosts a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) party for team members.

Fans of Japanese animation are invited to the first meeting of Anime Flux 3.0 in HAS 340 at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31. Robby Zinchak is President, and Dr. Paul Myers (Computer Science) and Dr. Glenn Meyer (Psychology) are the faculty advisors.

Conclusion

The Computer Science department is a great place to have a successful career at Trinity and beyond. Just look at these recent achievements:

• In May 2004, Dr. Gerald Pitts, the Caruth Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, was awarded the Piper Professorship, a prestigious fellowship to recognize his outstanding teaching career. Dr. Pitts is on leave for the 2004-05 school year, but we look forward to his return.
• Senior Scott Schwartz received a Goldwater Fellowship for 2004-05. He was the only Trinity student and one of only twelve Computer Science students nationally to receive this important scholarship.
• The Senior Software Project class for 2003-04 earned praise for developing and launching a new alumni online community for the Office of Alumni Relations.
• The student chapter of the ACM won first place at Trinity's second annual chocolate bake-off with a chocolate cake decorated to look like a giant motherboard.

So, come visit us during New Student Orientation to talk to the faculty and visit our labs. We hope you'll decide to register for a Computer Science class.

Links

Department of Computer Science website
Photos from Computer Science activities