Over the weekend of March 15th, “Hacklemore”, a team of 10 undergraduate Computer Science students from the University of Rochester traveled to Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada to participate in the CS Games. The team, led by captains Julian Lunger ’14 and Emily Danchik ’13, took 7th place out of 22 teams, thanks to strong showings by the team of Charlie Lehner ’15 and  David Bang ’14 who took 2nd place in Web Development,  and the team of Dan Hassin ’16 and Joe Brunner  ’14 who took 3rd place in Extreme Programming.

The CS Games, an annual competition held by Canadian universities, is attended by over 300 students. Although most of the student participants are Canadian, both the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology have sent teams in recent years. In 2011, the University of Rochester team won the competition. This year, the University of Rochester was the only American university to send a team to the event.

Teams consist of a maximum of 10 people, and compete in 15 to 20 different competitions from Friday to Sunday. These competitions are in different programming areas which range from programming theory, which deals with designing algorithms,  to embedded programming, which deals with writing programs which run on small devices. In addition to the programming competitions, there also are competitions in a few unrelated areas, such as sporting competitions and even a campus-wide scavenger hunt.

Throughout the games, teams must also be on the lookout for “Puzzle Hero” challenges, which are timed “mini-games” that cover a variety of topics and are emailed to the teams at random times. During this year’s games, Team “Hacklemore” had to do everything from solving chess puzzles to identifying pictures and diagrams of obscure plugs and wires. “One challenge even had us listen to a highly modified soundfile and figure out what it meant. The file sounded like a short, high-pitched blip–but we eventually figured out that it was three consecutive Iron Maiden song outtakes,” says Captain Julian Lunger. The team also had the opportunity to participate in “Hacking Questions,” where team members were given a limited amount of time to access websites designed for the competition.

In addition to the challenges, the event also featured large social gatherings for all of the participants.”The social aspect is an important and sometimes surprising one at the Games. Some people typically think of CS majors as unsocial; however, the exact opposite is true at the CS Games,” says Captain Julian Lunger. “The teams of computer geeks there are fun, they are wild, and they stay up til 2, 3, 4 a.m. every night.” The Rochester team also had the opportunity to interact with Computer Science students from different backgrounds. “Meeting French-Canadian students was really cool because they have a different culture and think about things in a different way– it’s almost like they are Europeans in North America,” says Lunger.

This years roster included Emily Danchik (leader) ’13, Julian Lunger (leader, captain) ’14, Thomas Swift ’13, Emily Ansley ’14, Joe Brunner ’14, Nate Book ’14, Shuopeng Deng ’14, Dan Hassin ’16, Charlie Lehner ’15, and David Bang ’14.

The Rochester team already has next year’s competition in mind. Captain Julian Lunger encourages any interested students to contact him through email at JLunger@u.rochester.edu.

When and how did you choose your major?

I decided to major in computer science after taking my first programming class. I loved the creative problem solving aspect of programming, as well as the satisfaction of building something useful and concrete. Unfortunately I didn’t discover computer science until the end of my sophomore year, so I had to overload my schedule and take summer school to finish on time! But it was well worth it.

What skills, tools, or knowledge from your major have been most useful to you since graduation?

Having a background in computers has been indispensable, (and very marketable), post-graduation. I regularly use my programming skills and algorithm design and analysis knowledge on the job. The most useful tool I’ve gained from my major, however, is the ability to think clearly about complex and abstract problems.

What do you do now and why did you choose this career?

I work at a space systems research and development center for the US government. My responsibilities vary widely, from orbit design to developing simulation software. I chose this career because I enjoy interdisciplinary, science-based environments; I can make use of both my skills as a mathematician and as a computer scientist, and because space research is just cool.

How are you still connected with the University?

I loved the time I spent at U of R, so staying connected, even from the West Coast, is really important to me. I always swing by the computer science department for a visit when I’m in the Rochester area. From Los Angeles, I conduct alumni interviews for prospective students, contribute to the University’s Meliora Challenge initiative, and attend the occasional alumni social event.

What advice do you have for current students?

College is really such a wonderful, transformative time in your life, so be bold and make the most out of it: Explore something completely foreign to you. Get involved on campus at the risk of over-extending yourself. Be academically adventurous. Cultivate big dreams.

This October, students in a computer science class were given an unlikely task: to construct a spear out of only naturally occurring materials that would be vigorous enough to repel a tiger attack. To test the effectiveness of their spears, they demonstrated on pumpkins, first decorating them and then setting them up to be stabbed.  A successful spear would go through an entire pumpkin, out the other side, and into an arrow target.

For students in CSC 199: Creative Computing, stabbing a pumpkin is actually a natural next step, as the class has many offbeat assignments. Past projects have included estimating the cost of building a mile-high skyscraper in lower Manhattan, figuring out the total distance traveled by a red blood cell throughout its lifetime, and approximating the amount of time it would take for the atmosphere to become unbreathable if the process of photosynthesis ceased.

Senior Alex Silverman wrapped a sharp piece of stone with vines to create a spear point, and mounted it on a large stick. His thrust managed to penetrate the skin of the pumpkin. “This is the first computer science class in which I’ve had to stab a pumpkin with a spear,” he remarked. “It’s harder than it looks.”

What is this assignment trying to teach? “It’s partly about Halloween, and partly about illustrating the importance of cultural infrastructure even at the Paleolithic level,” Professor Randal Nelson explained. “Few people appreciate how hard it is to get by without tools.”

After the failure of most spears to go through the entire pumpkin, a consensus emerged in the class: It’s really difficult to survive in Paleo-era.

In the Photo: Alex Feiszli ’14 tests his homemade spear.

John B. Hinkel III wants to improve the mobility of quadriplegics. So he designed a device that he considers a significant improvement over anything else in the marketplace. And now, the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office has moved Hinkel one step closer to his goal by publishing his patent proposal.

The process started when he was a student at Hopkinton High School in Massachusetts. In his junior year, Hinkel developed a mouse that could be controlled by head movements and presented it at the Massachusetts State Science Fair. A panel of judges awarded him the 1st place prize. He developed the idea further and won 1st place again in his senior year. This time, his prize came with the pro bono patent services of a prominent legal office. By the end of senior year, Hinkel developed the idea and submitted an application to the U.S. Patent Office.

So what is the invention? Hinkel has developed a device that allows paraplegics to control their wheelchairs with gentle head movements. He gives a new way for people with severe spinal injuries to be mobile. Consisting of a headset connected wirelessly to a joystick, Hinkel’s device can be integrated to guide any motorized wheelchair.

“My evaluation of all the other devices was that they are cumbersome and not very user-friendly,” says Hinkel ’14, now a double-major in computer science and Spanish. “So, I decided to design a better device.”

Indeed, his invention is a considerable improvement over other products currently in the marketplace. One available product is the “Sip-and-Puff” which allows users to control their wheelchairs by blowing through a “wand” placed in front of their faces. Another device coordinates the wheelchair through a magnet implanted in the tongue.

Professor Henry Kautz, chair of the department of computer science, is a fan of the project. “John is extraordinary among our ordinarily extraordinary students. Quite a few of our undergraduates are doing original research — but not so many started in high school,” he says. “I’ll look forward to seeing him do even bigger things over the next couple of years!”

Having his proposal published does not mean that his patent has been approved, although it’s very close. Hinkel will need to go through one final approval process before he can be awarded with a patent. Asked what he’d like to do with the rights to his invention, Hinkel admits that he hasn’t thought that far. “I could start a business, or sell the idea to another company. There are a lot of possibilities.”

Hinkel will learn by April 2013 whether the U.S. Patent Office will award him with a full patent.

Article written by Dan Wang, a junior at Rochester, who studies philosophy and economics. Photo courtesy of John Hinkel.

At the end of the marathon sessions, the members of the a cappella group will emerge, bleary-eyed—maybe a little hoarse—but with a laptop containing the gist of their 10th “studio” album. The do-it-yourself method is how the Ramblers have recorded all nine of their albums over the last decade: on their own, late into the night, with their own equipment.

They have no faculty members to guide them, no tech support crew to troubleshoot problems, and no formal training in how to record digital music. They have just their own desire to create a collection of music they can share with their fans.

“We keep teaching ourselves how to do it,” says Tomich, a biomedical engineering major from Cleveland. “A lot of what we’ve learned is through experimentation, and through one generation of Ramblers handing off the knowledge to another generation.

“We kind of make do,” he says.

And make do very well. With albums regularly selected as among the best in the collegiate a cappella world, the Ramblers are something of an ongoing digital media enterprise. In addition to recording their own tracks (they rely on a professional engineering company to mix the albums), they conceive, record, and produce their own videos, and they oversee their own advertising and communications effort. All done digitally on their own equipment.

As the tools—the cameras, computers, software—that used to be available to only the most sophisticated professional have become practically standard on introductory laptops, if not on smartphones, students at Rochester and across the country are teaching themselves how to create their own artistic, personal, and professional digital portfolios.

And they take on the projects because they want to, regardless of their majors or whether they’ve taken classes or been formally trained in digital media. It’s not just for film geeks or photo mavens or computer jocks any more.

Couple that ubiquity with the 24/7, can-do, let’s-make-something-cool spirit that’s contagious among college students, and academic leaders say the University is poised not just to make advances in the world of digital media and art, but also to help rekindle a spirit of innovation.

Tom DiPiero, dean for humanities and interdisciplinary studies, says one of the hallmarks of students who have grown up in the Internet era is that they’re immune to the notion that creativity is bound within individual disciplines. Riffing on the British scientist C. P. Snow’s famous critique of academia and the danger of compartmentalization, DiPiero says students don’t think in terms of “two cultures” any longer, if they ever did.

“Any of us who are older still think in terms of the divides—the arts and humanities side and the science and engineering side,” says DiPiero. “That’s not how kids think today. They might have a predilection toward one or the other side of things, but they don’t think in those kinds of boxes.”

In an effort to further strengthen the connections among intellectual interests, Arts, Sciences & Engineering is launching a multipronged initiative this spring with the goal of providing students with an academic and cocurricular home for their multidisciplinary interests.

The clearest manifestation is a new building, which campus planners hope to break ground on later this year, that will house state-of-the-art space for students to explore, create, and study digital media, including video and audio production, website technology, and mobile applications.

Built to connect with Morey Hall, the new building will provide much of the technologically equipped studio space for two new majors designed to give students an academic structure to channel their interests in the arts, humanities, and digital technology. One major, in digital media studies, has begun enrolling students for the fall; the second, in audio and music engineering, is expected to be approved soon.

DiPiero says the new major in digital media is designed to give students a liberal arts grounding in perspectives about narrative, analysis, video production, film history, media, technology, and other humanistic approaches, complemented with production-oriented classes in video, audio, Web, and other technologies.

Such a program will not only improve the digital skills of students, but will also provide them with a broad perspective to think critically about the technology around them, he says.

“If you know the history, if you know the aesthetics, you are much more likely to be able to produce something that people will want to watch,” says DiPiero. “But we also want to address the fact that every educated adult needs to be both a critical reader of media—that is, they need to know how to look at media, how to understand them historically, socially, and even aesthetically—and at the same time, they need to know something about how to produce these forms of media.”

Tomich of the Ramblers says having a broader sense of the history and aesthetics of media production would only improve the quality of the group’s productions.

“As a non-major, I’m interested in those things; as a user I’m interested in those things,” he says. “If it was a major, I’d still be interested in those things. Knowing where things have come from enables you to create better work.

“I would have no qualms about taking a history class to understand why we have what we have, and how it has progressed to this point. I think that’s really cool.”

The idea of channeling student inquisitiveness and innovation guides a second main component of the new building—a state-of-the-art “studio for engineers”—known as the fabrication center, or “fab lab,” where students can fabricate prototypes and work with materials for shaping ideas into products.

Rob Clark, dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, says the design of the fab lab and its placement within the new building acknowledges that innovative ideas come from across the spectrum of students.

He, too, has seen a trend among students to bridge what traditionally have been seen as distinct disciplines. For example, last year, when a computer-aided design course required for mechanical engineering students was mistakenly listed in the course schedule as having no prerequisites, the first 25 to 30 seats were filled with arts and sciences students. The Hajim School had to offer a second section to accommodate the additional demand.

Clark attributes the enrollment to students’ interest in the gaming industry and the growth of virtual online worlds, but he says it’s a fitting example of how students approach new technologies.

“Students here and at other institutions are less driven by the requirements and constraints put on any particular discipline,” Clark says. “They are interested in learning what they’re curious about at the time. They’re less interested in the boundaries between disciplines. I think this space creates an opportunity to say, ‘We encourage that.’”

Bradley Halpern ’12, president of the Students’ Association, says students have long been tinkering with media production, particularly campus performing groups who produce video and audio projects. Regardless of major, students think nothing of drawing on other disciplines to figure out how to solve a problem.

“People are starting to realize that you need crossdisciplinary study to solve the world’s problems,” says Halpern. “It’s a way of thinking that makes us, as students, more capable and more likely to take that approach when we’re in the workforce.”

An engineer, Halpern is focusing his major on human-computer interaction, a field that explores the social, cultural, and psychological ways that people interact with technology and how to improve that experience. He draws on his interests in computers, political science, music, and other fields as he explores ways to make technology more user-friendly.

Halpern works with Jeff Bigham, an assistant professor of computer science who helped draft the new major in digital media studies. Bigham says technological fields like computer engineering are just beginning to recognize how much artists, psychologists, and humanists can bring to the design of technology.

The new initiatives can only spark more collaboration among students, who, he agrees, no longer think in terms of “us” and “them” when it comes to digital culture.

“We older people might think that there are two groups,” he says. “Younger people are just thinking, I’m a digital media person and I might sample from computer science or I might sample from art and art history. They’re already doing it; why not just formalize it?”

Bigham notes that the willingness of students to explore the potential of technological tools is not new. Such creativity lies at the heart of what most people think of as “hacking,” or the nonmalicious approach of taking a gadget apart, figuring out how it works, and using its concepts and parts to create something new. In that sense, the arts and humanities are particular hotspots right now, he says.

“It used to be the computer scientists who were going off and gluing together hardware, and they were writing their own software to do stuff that they thought was cool, to get stuff done,” Bigham says. “Now, we’ve matured as a discipline; we have all this stuff. Now it’s the artists, who don’t have formal training in computer science or in electrical engineering, who are taking whatever they can find, gluing it together in whatever way they want to be able to achieve whatever art they want to create. They are the ones who are doing the hacking that really started with computer programming.”

For his part, Clark wouldn’t mind rekindling the idea that being a good engineer means being a good tinkerer.

As do other engineering administrators around the country, Clark notes that the profession’s success in making sure that students are mathematically prepared and comfortable working with computer technology has lessened the likelihood that incoming engineering students have experience in developing, producing, or improving physical products.

“Our students come in with great math and science skills,” he says. “That’s true across the field of engineering. It’s generational. But part of education is always to find the components of the things that someone needs to learn to succeed in a particular career. In engineering part of what you need to succeed is to understand how things work. To do that, you need to be able to take things apart or put them together and to conceive design.

“I want to encourage engineering students to use the space as an art student would use an art studio. If you’re a sophomore and you have an idea of some widget you want to build, then you should be able to figure out what tools you need to use to build the device and be able to go into the lab and build it.”

Cary Peppermint, assistant professor of art and art history, says artists have traditionally been willing to do exactly that—go into a studio and use the tools at hand to pursue an artistic vision. What’s new is that the technology is different and the approaches to art tend to be more collaborative and interactive than they’ve been in the past.

He’s the founder of an artistic collective that uses technology such as GPS programs, Web interfaces, and social media to analyze and question modern society’s connections with nature.

In his classes, he and his students explore ways to repurpose technologies to create new artistic works and to develop interactions between artists, viewers, and art.

“The collaborative and interdisciplinary component is different from an artist’s perspective,” he says. In contrast to the stereotypical image of the lone artist, most digital art requires a group of programmers, graphic designers, artists, digital video, and sound producers.

“No one can be an expert in all those things,” Peppermint says. “It’s a new way of working. That’s very exciting.”

One of the students in Peppermint’s introduction to digital art class, Nicolette Howell ’13, says she’s used to tinkering as a studio arts major interested in photography. The brooding images in a recent portfolio of her work hide a menagerie of menacing shapes and shadows within swirls of computer-enhanced smoke. All created with imagination, vision—and software.

Like generations of photographers and artists before her, the junior from Dacula, Ga., is learning to experiment with her medium and her equipment to get the results she sees in her mind’s eye.

She’s already acquainted herself with Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, and other commercial-level image and design programs. In the course on digital art last winter, she used software to animate her images so that they moved as viewers clicked them on a computer screen.

The project was her first effort at interactive art, and it piqued her interest in improving her skills with increasingly advanced technology. She doesn’t want to be a computer programmer, but she does want to know enough about software to help express her artistic ideas.

Says Howell: “I always think that learning about more things will make my work better.”

Article written for the May-June issue of Rochester Review by Scott Hauser, editor of Review.

In the Photos:

ROLL ‘TAPE’: Setting up their own equipment in practice rooms in Spurrier Gym, Jared Suresky ’12 (singing), Kevin Layden ’13 (left), Noah Berg ’12, Andrew Tomich ’14, and the rest of the Midnight Ramblers have recorded nine CDs, teaching themselves how to use new technology.

DESIGNING TIMES: Computer science professor Jeff Bigham says technologists have begun to recognize the contributions of humanists and social scientists in making technology more user-friendly.

STUDIO ARTIST: Nicolette Howell ’13, a studio arts major from Dacula, Ga., says an introductory class on digital art piqued her interest in learning more about how she can use technology to broaden the range of artistic expression she can bring to her photographic work.

Photos courtesy of J. Adam Fenster, University Communications.

Name: Andrew Frueh
Age: 31
Education (UR and additional): B.A. in Computer Science and B.A. in Studio Arts, University of Rochester, 2003. M.F.A. in Imaging Arts and Sciences / Computer Animation, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2010.
Current city/state of residence: Salt Lake City, Utah
Job Title: Creative Director
Employer: Infuse Medical
Family: My wife, Karen Copeland (Eastman ’03); and our Icelandic Sheepdog, Kalla
Community activities: I volunteer once a week at the Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary to help feeding pigs and birds (http://www.chingsanctuary.org/).  I’m also very into endurance sports (distance running, cycling, triathlon) – a hobby my freshman year roommate and I started together.

Why did you choose to attend the University of Rochester?

Initially , I was interested in UR because it was well regarded in college rankings and had a strong computer science department.  But when I came and visited the campus the first time was what really sold me.    Everything from the layout of the campus to the general vibe just felt right.  And then the Rush Rhee’s scholarship sealed the deal.

When and how did you choose your major?

I knew I wanted to be a computer science major right from the beginning.  I taught myself how to program in high school as a hobby, and CS was the hot major in ‘99.  However the summer of my sophomore year I had an internship at a software engineering company, and I realized I wanted to do more than just write code.  So I decided to pursue computer animation and digital art.  I switched from a BS in Computer Science to a BA, and added a second major in Studio Art.

What activities were you involved in as a student and what did you gain from them?

I started singing with the Midnight Ramblers the spring semester of my sophomore year, and I directed the group in my senior year.  The group gave me the opportunity to become friends with an amazing group of guys, and take part in dozens of experiences I never would have been able to otherwise.  Directing the group was particularly helpful to me because it was my first serious leadership experience, and the lessons I took from that were invaluable.

What resources did you use on campus that you recommend current students use?

I made regular use of the Multimedia Center for my digital art projects, all the gear that was available there was extremely useful.

Who were your mentors while you were on campus? Have you continued those relationships?

Probably my two biggest mentors while on campus also happened to be my academic advisors for my two majors: Ted Pawlicki in Computer Science and Allen Topolski in Studio Art.  Both were knowledgeable and supportive and helped me find my own way with one foot in each major.   Yes, I do continue to keep in contact with them, and had the opportunity to get together with both of them last year when I was back in Rochester screening my thesis film for my MFA.

What did you do immediately after graduation? How did you decide to take that path?

I started interning for an educational media company, Truth-n-Beauty, in my junior year.  Two UR professors, Adam Frank and Ted Pawlicki, started the company.  We created animation and interactive software for museums, textbooks, websites, etc.  Working there was a blast, and little did I know I was laying the foundation for the rest of my career.  When I graduated in ’03, I decided to work for TnB full-time.

What do you do now and why did you choose this career?

I’m a Creative Director for Infuse Medical, a medical education agency based in Salt Lake City, UT.  We create marketing and training media primarily for medical device companies – anything from iPad applications, to 3D animation, to interactive tradeshow exhibits.  As a Creative Director I work with clients to understand their needs develop a vision for a project.  Then I lead our team of artists and developers to bring that vision to life.  The work I do now is really an extension of the work I started doing when I begin interning at Truth-n-Beauty my junior year.  I’ve continued building on that experience throughout my career and it has led me to where I am now.

What skills, tools, or knowledge from your major have been most useful to you since graduation?

Probably the biggest thing is the ability to think creatively across a wide variety of disciplines.  When a client comes to us with a project, I need to be able to decide not only how to make something visually appealing, but also how we can create it technically.  My work requires me to be a generalist, not a specialist.  I think the broad range of experiences I gained at U of R played a big part in making that possible.

How do you balance your work and personal life?

That’s always a challenge, especially with client-based work, because everybody wants their project yesterday.  I think a big part of maintaining that balance is finding a company that believes it is important.  There are plenty of companies out there that will work you into the ground, and then replace you when you’re burned out.  So look carefully when you’re applying to companies and talk to other employees.  In my experience, finding a company that values their people is a huge factor in overall job satisfaction.

Where would you like to be in five years?

Five years is a long way out.  I think setting long term goals like that can be counter-productive.  You never know what the universe has in store for you, and I think you have to stay open to possibilities when they show up – even if they aren’t what you were planning on.  From year to year, if I can look back at my work and see growth and improvement, that’s enough for me.

How are you still connected with the University?

Mostly through friends and former professors.

What advice do you have for current students?

Take internships!  Even though the UR doesn’t the greatest system for them (you have to pay for the credit hours – and you can’t be paid by the employer), they are some of the most valuable experiences you’ll get.  They are an opportunity to test out your chosen career and see if it suits you.  Then if you’re like me and you find out it isn’t an exact fit, you can make a change and try something different.  It’s also a great way to see how well the skills you’ve gained in the classroom apply to the real world.  That way when you come back to the classroom you have a whole different appreciation for what’s being taught.

Name: Nate Chambers
Age: 31
Occupation: Assistant Professor, Computer Science, United States Naval Academy
Education (UR and additional): B.S., 2002, and M.S., University of Rochester.  Ph.D., Stanford University.
Current city/state of residence: Annapolis, Maryland
Family: wife Amy Chambers (BS/MS 2002/2003, UR), 2-year old son, + new baby in less than a month
Community activities: Brand new to the Annapolis MD area, still looking around.

Why did you choose to attend the University of Rochester?  When and how did you choose your major?

I knew I wanted to study Computer Science since high school.  One of the main factors in my college search was to find a school that had a good Computer Science department, but a school that wasn’t a techy engineering environment.  I think I am one of the ironic computer science majors in that I don’t always want to be amongst computer scientists in real life.  Maybe I just wanted to meet a non-engineering girl (and that worked out too).  Frankly, Rochester was the best college that accepted me, and the campus felt pleasant and homey when I visited.  The Eastman school was also a draw as I was able to take advantage of some music opportunities too.  I signed up for my initial CS courses as a freshman and haven’t looked back.  I eventually completed a 3-2 Master’s, and recently received a Ph.D. in CS from Stanford University in 2011.

What resources did you use on campus that you recommend current students use?

The most important thing I did as an undergraduate was to seek out a summer internship with faculty members in my department (Computer Science).  I asked about summer research after my sophomore year, and spent the summer working with James Allen on a topic from an elective course I had just completed with him.  That summer internship turned into a 3-year connection with James that included other summer internships, independent research, a 3-2 Master’s degree, and ultimately, a full-time job after I graduated.  I was fortunate to later pursue a Ph.D. at Stanford University, and it can largely be traced back to that sophomore year internship at Rochester.

What did you do immediately after graduation? How did you decide to take that path?

I moved to Florida and worked in a small research institute in which my Rochester advisor was involved.  He transitioned from my research advisor to my boss, and the work environment was very much an open collaborative research setting and I was given wide latitude in pursuing my own interests there.  The choice to take that job was an easy one.  I interviewed for many computer programming jobs, but maintaining the healthy relationship with my advisor and the Rochester connection itself was most attractive.  Oh yes, and Florida weather is the exact opposite of Rochester.  That was a strong motivator.

What do you do now and why did you choose this career?

I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the United States Naval Academy, a four year undergraduate college for future officers in the US Navy.  I am only in my first year on the job, but it has been wonderful so far.  The civilian faculty are required to hold doctorates in their field, and quality research is a requirement of the job.  I chose this position over other teaching and research jobs because it gives me the opportunity to teach in a more intimate setting (class sizes capped at 20!), yet still gives me ample time for my own research during the year.  The decision to be a professor came mid-way through my doctorate work when I realized how much I actually enjoyed teaching.  I volunteered to teach a freshmen seminar one year at Stanford, and I surprised myself when it was actually fun.  This job gives me the perfect teaching/research balance that I was looking for: not too much of either one.

Where would you like to be in 5 years?

I hope to get tenure in 5 years, and be right here at the Naval Academy.  The Naval Academy’s environment gives me the freedom to pursue fun research, and the students will keep me on my toes.  It’s still early on.  Right now I just hope I’ll enjoy it in the future as much as I do now.  I’ve never lived in one place for more than 5 years, so history says I should be moving on when that timer goes off!  I have a great family (UR alum wife, two kids), so let’s hope I can stay put for them this time around.  We’re finding a great community of people here in Annapolis and I hope to plug in and get more involved outside of “the job” as well. I think maybe deep down, what I most want 5 years from now is to hear about my students doing some awesome Computer Science work in the Navy, and finding the world a safer place because of it.  Making fundamental contributions in my research wouldn’t be so bad either…

When and how did you choose your major?

I chose my majors freshman year.  It was a natural extension of what I liked to do: read, write and play with computers.  When I looked at the requirements and figured out it was possible to do both I didn’t look back.

What activities were you involved in as a student and what did you gain from them?

I was an active member in my Fraternity (Delta Kappa Epsilon) and also a TA for beginning level computer science courses.  From my fraternity, I gained a large group of lifelong friends and the opportunity to do any number of social activities at the drop of the hat.  It really kept college from being an only academic experience.  It taught me how to interact with people who had completely different interests than mine, which has been valuable in the work place.  My TA experience was useful for learning how to teach people a new skill.  This again has been useful in the business world where it is necessary to teach less experienced developers how to accomplish something.

What resources did you use on campus that you recommend current students use?

The career center was extremely useful for helping me with my resume as well as putting me in contact with alumni.  I aso just talked to professors about possible paths after college or side projects I could work on.

What did you do immediately after graduation? How did you decide to take that path?

I started working at a web startup in San Diego immediately after graduating.  I spent at least five months applying for jobs and considering offers while I was still in school and that one was the most tantalizing to me.  I really wanted to stop learning and start applying so this was the best move for me.

What do you do now and why did you choose this career?

Now I build web and mobile applications with teams of software developers.  Sometimes I lead and manage the team, other times I am just an individual contributor.  I chose this career because I have always enjoyed problem solving and creating new things. In addition, the money is pretty good and I think there will be a lot of opportunity in the field moving forward.

How do you balance your work and professional life?

At first I didn’t.  I worked all the time and didn’t have much of a personal life.  There might be something to be said for this approach to get going really fast in the professional world, but in the end for me it didn’t work out that well.  When I was neglecting my personal life I was also neglecting myself, so when I quit my first job after two and a half years I had not idea what to do with myself.  I think if I had balanced my life more appropriately it would not have been as difficult.  Now I make sure that I don’t work more than 50 hours a week, and I also make sure that I spend time hanging out with and talking to friends and family.

Where would you like to be in five years?

Running my own software development and product firm.

How are you still connected with the University?

I attend alumni events in my area.

What advice do you have for current students?

Study and work on what you love to do, because a lot of your life will be spent working and if you enjoy it, life will be good.

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Why did you choose to attend the University of Rochester?

After doing my research, I knew I wanted to stay on the East Coast for college. After all the admissions decisions were in, it was between Rochester and Johns Hopkins. I decided on Rochester because I thought it would be a more supportive and friendly environment. I think it was a good call.

When and how did you choose your major?

I fell into it, to be honest. I had taken some courses on programming in high school and I loved playing video games, so Computer Science made sense when I first stepped on campus. Honestly, I’m not really sure there’s a good way to pick a major. You just have to go with your gut.

What activities were you involved in as a student and what did you gain from them?

I played squash for four years and was in the chamber orchestra for three. From squash I learned teamwork, commitment, and that hard work can actually get results. The chamber orchestra helped me appreciate music. Both experiences rounded out my college experience in a way that, I think, eluded some of my peers.

What did you do immediately after graduation? How did you decide to take that path?

After graduation I went to law school. By the time I graduated that I didn’t want to be a programmer and job prospects were not looking good either. Having found an interest in Political Science during college, I thought about how to combine both my interest in computers with this newfound interest in the law. Law school was the obvious answer.

The major focused more on learning abstract concepts than programming languages, and this focus improved my logical thinking skills. In particular, it taught me how to simplify tough questions into simpler questions, which I’ve realized is an amazingly valuable skill. I actually think that a computer science background is excellent preparation for law school.

The following graduating seniors received fellowships:

• Emilia Sola-Gracia ’12, bachelor of science in ecology and evolutionary biology
• David Kaphan ’12, bachelor of science in chemistry
• Sharese King ’12, bachelor of arts in linguistics, minor in American Sign Language
• Mark D. Levin ’12, bachelor of science in chemistry, minor in mathematics
• Susan Pratt ’12, bachelor of arts in mathematics and bachelor of science in physics

The following graduating seniors received honorable mentions:

• Chad Hunter ’12, bachelor of science in chemical engineering, minor in mathematics
• Matej Penciak ’12, bachelor of science in physics and bachelor of arts in mathematics
• Benjamin E.R. Snyder ’12, bachelor of science in chemistry and bachelor of arts in mathematics

The following graduate students received fellowships:

• Michael Baranello, doctoral degree candidate in chemical engineering
• Ellie Carrell, doctoral degree candidate in pharmacology and physiology
• Jason Inzana, doctoral degree candidate in biomedical engineering
• Vijay Jain, doctoral degree candidate in physics

The following graduate students received honorable mentions:

• Esteban Buz, doctoral degree candidate in brain and cognitive sciences
• Dev Crasta, doctoral degree candidate in clinical and social sciences in psychology
• Adam B. Johnson, doctoral degree candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology
• Patrick S. Murphy, doctoral degree candidate in microbiology & immunology
• Ian Perera, doctoral degree candidate in computer science

The following recent alumni, who are currently pursing advanced degrees elsewhere, received fellowships:

• Molly Boutin ’11, bachelor of science in biomedical engineering
• Caitlin Hilliard ’10, bachelor of arts in brain and cognitive sciences and American Sign Language
• Patrick Sheehan ’11, bachelor of science in physics & astronomy and bachelor of arts in mathematics
• Raisa Trubko ’10, bachelor of arts in physics and bachelor of science in optics
• David J. Weinberg ’11, bachelor of science in chemistry
• Hannah (Geswein) Williamson ’08, bachelor of arts in psychology

The following recent alumni, many of whom are currently pursing advanced degrees elsewhere, received honorable mentions:

• Samuel Anderson ’11, bachelor of science in chemistry
• Isthier Chaudhury ’11, bachelor of science in chemical engineering and bachelor of arts in interdepartmental programs
• Emily (Grzybowski) Dennis ’11, bachelor of science in molecular genetics and bachelor of arts in studio arts
• Aaron Gorenstein ’11, bachelor of science in computer science
• Seth Kallman ’09, bachelor of science in brain & cognitive sciences
• Kathleen Mulvaney ’10, bachelor of science in molecular genetics
• Alison Ossip-Klein ’10, bachelor of science in ecology and evolutionary biology
• Camillia Redding ’10, bachelor of arts in political science
• Maria Strangas ’10, bachelor of science in ecology & evolutionary biology
• Adam Williamson’08, bachelor of science in electrical & computer engineering and bachelor of arts in physics

Article written by Melissa Greco Lopes, editor of The Buzz and student life publicist in University Communications. Photo courtesy of  the NSF website.