Greetings, alu
mni and friends! As I reach out through this note, I'm eager to not only share the latest progress within your department but also to personally invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn. Your journey is part of our story, and no news is too small; I would love to hear about all your endeavors. It’s also with great pleasure that I bring to you the latest accomplishments and advancements of your department. We’re celebrating a remarkable improvement in our rankings—making a noteworthy ascent to #60 in the US News and World Report, and climbing from #82 to #73 on CSrankings.org. There couldn’t be a better way to begin my second term as the department chair.
Academically, your department is on an upward trajectory. The student community in your department is flourishing like never before, with current enrollments standing at 938 undergraduates and 240 graduate students in Computer Science, plus 662 undergraduate students in Software Engineering. We’ve initiated a new MS enrollment agreement aimed at welcoming an additional 100 MS students. We’ve proudly launched a B.A. in Computer Science, and new AI minors are set to be integrated pending university approval.
We have firmly focused on student success, introducing measures like the CS Help Room, peer mentoring, learning communities, and new scholarship opportunities. These steps demonstrate the excellence of our programs and the dedication of our faculty and staff. While these developments are encouraging, much more remains to be done. With our student numbers on the rise, the need for scholarships has never been more important. Please join me in expressing gratitude to Konrad and Linda Marie Schmidt for establishing the Kobs-Schmidt endowment. Their generosity has already begun to transform the educational experience for our students. These scholarships change students' lives, allowing them to focus on their studies and well-being without financial stress. Let’s celebrate our faculty achievements—congratulations are in order for Jin Tian, who has been deservedly promoted to Full Professor. We’ve also warmly welcomed five new tenure-track faculty members: Liyi Li, Yang Li, Clay Stevens, Bowen Weng, and Lin Yang. Liyi Li, with his specialization in quantum computing, opens new opportunities for our research and teaching. I'm also proud to mention that four of our faculty members—Hongyang Gao, Qi Li, Chris Quinn, and Nok Wongpiromsarn—have passed their third-year reviews, a clear sign of our commitment to academic excellence. In recognition of her commitment to student guidance, Deb Holmes has been honored with the 2023 ISU Award for Academic Advising Impact. Additionally, Matthew Tan Creti's involvement in the Provost's term faculty learning community is another example of our investment in faculty development. Congratulations to Karthik Balakrishnan and Kathy Hahn-Davidson for their Distinguished Alumni awards and on their appointment on the Computer Science External Advisory Council (EAC). We are thrilled to announce that John Paule will be taking on the role of EAC chair for the coming two years, and we look forward to the direction he will provide. I would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to George Strawn for his exceptional leadership of the EAC during a transformative time for our department. On the research front, your department has made headlines. Qi Li was granted the distinguished National Science Foundation CAREER award, Myra Cohen was honored with a BSS Fellowship, and Pavan Aduri was invited to Simons Institute. I am constantly humbled by the excellence of our faculty. Furthermore, we’ve refined academic policies and set new publication standards for our Ph.D. candidates, strengthening the academic rigor of your department. We’ve also been in the spotlight within the university, with visits from the President, the Provost, and the ISU Foundation’s Board of Governors highlighting the significant role our department plays at ISU. Institutional support has empowered us to secure several strategic faculty positions, and the search continues for two more assistant professors. With an eye on the future, we’re evaluating the potential of a new MS in Financial Technology. I hope you find inspiration in the stories of opportunity and success from your department. The past year's achievements are just the start of what we can do together. Your continued support means the world to us—thank you.
Kingland Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Science