Courses

Looking Ahead   (Spring 2009):	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 161: Imperative Problem Solving and Data Structures
	Computer Science 341: Automata, Formal Languages, and Computational Complexity
Forthcoming Semester (Fall 2008):	Computer Science Tutorial: Computers: Facts, Misconceptions, and Ethical Issues
	Computer Science 325: Databases and Web Application Design (no information yet available)
Spring 2008:	Computer Science 341: Automata, Formal Languages, and Computational Complexity
Fall 2007:	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 261: Artificial Intelligence
Spring 2007:	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
Fall 2006:	Computer Science Tutorial: Computing: Limitations and Promising Developments
	Computer Science 223: Software Design
Spring 2006:	Computer Science 105: An Algorithmic and Social Overview of Computer Science
	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
Fall 2005:	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Computer Science 223: Software Design
	Computer Science 397: Group Guided Reading Women and Computing
Spring 2005:	Computer Science 105: An Algorithmic and Social Overview of Computer Science
	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 201: Data Representation, Storage Management, and C Programming
	Computer Science 397: Group Independent Project: Topics in Computer Networking
Fall 2004:	Introduction to CS for Grinnell Science Project students
	Computer Science Tutorial: Computing: Limitations and Promising Developments
	Computer Science 213: Operating Systems and Parallel Algorithms
Spring 2004:	Computer Science 105: An Algorithmic and Social Overview of Computer Science
	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Computer Science 302: Programming Language Concepts
	Computer Science 397: Group Independent Project: Topics in Computer Networking
Fall 2002- Fall 2003:	On leave (sabbatical leave, personal leave, senior study leave)
Spring 2002:	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 223: Software Design
Fall 2001:	Computer Science Tutorial: Computing: Limitations and Promising Developments
	Computer Science 195: Data Representation, Storage Management, and C Programming
	Computer Science 211: Computer Organization and Architecture
Spring 2001:	Computer Science 152: Fundamentals of Computer Science II
	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 302: Programming Language Concepts
Fall 2000:	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Computer Science 213: Operating Systems and Parallel Algorithms
Spring 2000:	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 302: Programming Language Concepts
Fall 1999:	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Computer Science 211: Computer Organization and Architecture
Spring 1999:	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Mathematics/Computer Science 341: Automata, Formal Languages, and Computational Complexity
Fall 1998:	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Computer Science 213: Operating Systems and Parallel Algorithms
	Computer Science 301: Algorithms
Spring 1998	Mathematics 131: Calculus I
	Computer Science 153: Computer Science Fundamentals
	Computer Science 261: Artificial Intelligence
Fall 1997	Computer Science Tutorial: Computing: Limitations and Promising Developments
	Computer Science 211: Computer Architecture and Organization
Spring 1997	Computer Science 151: Fundamentals of Computer Science I
	Computer Science 295: Parallel Algorithms

On-line Documents

• An Introduction to C Through Annotated Examples
• An Introduction to Concurrency in Unix-based [GNU] C Through Annotated Examples
• An Introduction to Sockets in C Through Annotated Examples, written by Peter Broadwell as part of an independent study project
• An Introduction to C++ Through Annotated Examples
• A Brief History of the Computing Curriculum at Grinnell College (a draft document covering the period 1971 through 1995).
• November 29, 1994 draft of "A Revised Model Curriculum for a Liberal Arts Degree in Computer Science", co-authored with G. Michael Schneider and the Liberal Arts Computer Science Consortium.
• Academic Positions Advertised from September to January in the Communciations of the ACM or ACM On-line, 1996-2003
• Extrapolation of Taulbee Survey Data
• Notes on the Academic Job Market and Hiring Strategies (in pdf form; to appear in the SIGCSE Bulletin)
• with Weichao Ma and Dorene Mboya, "Variability of Referees' Ratings of Conference Papers" .

Interests

Professional:

Other:

Current and Recent Activities

Current Grinnell College Projects

• Building Liaison, Science Building Construction Phase 2
  • Deliveries to the Science Building, Grinnell College During Phase 2 Construction
  • Phase 2 Construction Pictures
• Automation of the PE Recruiting Process
  • Development Page for Summer 2005

• Member of the AP CS Ad Hoc Committee of the College Board, 1999-2000
  
• Organizer of numerous 1-day, 2-day, and week-long workshops for high school teachers, including week-long workshop June 29-July 3, 1998 at the Hawken School in Gates Mills, OH.
• Member of the AP CS Ad Hoc Committee of the College Board, 1995-1996
  

Positions held

Education

M.S. in computer science, University of Iowa, 1979.
Ph.D. in mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973.
A.B. magna cum laude with highest honors in mathematics, Williams College, 1969.

Recent Publications

• Regular Column on "Classroom Issues" for the SIGCSE Bulletin
  • Thoughts on Student Feedback to Help Teaching, Volum2 38, Number 3, December 2006, to appear.
  • Thoughts about Lecturing, Volume 38, Number 2, June 2006, to appear.
  • What Should Be in a Syllabus, Volume 37, Number 4, December 2005, 19-21.
  • Mathematics and CS Topics in the CS Classroom, Volume 37, Number 2, June 2005, 15-17.
  • Academic Honesty in the Classroom, Volume 36, Number 4, December 2004, 18-19.
  • What Teachers Should, Can, and Cannot Do, Volume 36, Number 2, June 2004, 20-21.
  • Do Compuer Games Have a Role in the Computing Classroom, Volume 35, Number 4, December 2003, 18-19.
  • Lessons from the CUPM, volume 35, Number 2, June 2003, 19-20.
  • Teaching and a Sense of the Dramatic, Act II, Volume 34, Number 4, December 2002, 18-19.
  • Teaching and a Sense of the Dramatic, Volume 33, Number 4, December 2001.
  • "Balancing the Forest and the Trees in Courses", Volume 32, Number 4, December 2000.
  • "Notes on Grading", Volume 32, Number 2, June 2000, pp. 18-19.
  • "Guided Reading and Seminar Issues", Volume 31, Number 4, December 1999, pp. 27-28.
  • "Finding Interesting Examples and Assignments for CS1/2 Assignments", Volume 31, Number 2, June 1999, pp. 24-25.
  • "The Balance Between Programming and Other Assignments", Volume 30, Number 4, December 1998, pp. 23a-25a.
  • "Writing Within the Computer Science Curriculum", Volume 30, Number 2, June 1998, pp. 24-25.
  • "A Racquetball or Volleyball Simulation", Volume 29, Number 4, December 1997, pp. 22-23.
• with Kevin Engel, "Research Exercises: immersion experiences to promote information literacy", J. of CCSC, Volume 21, Issue 4, April 2006, 61-68.
• with David Levine, "XP practices appliled to grading", SIGCSE Bulletin,Volume 38, Number 1, March 2006. pp. 173-177.
• The Tao of Computing: A Down-to-earth Approach to Computer Literacy, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005.
• with Kevin Engel, "Research Exercises: A sequenced approach to just-in-time information literacy instruction", Research Strategies, volume 19, Issue 2, July 2004, pp. 135-147.
• "Comments on CS Hiring and Hiring Strategies", SIGCSE Bulletin,Volume 33, Number 4, December 2001.
• with Weichao Ma and Dorene Mboya, "Variability of Referees' Ratings of conference Papers", Abtract presented at the Joint Mathematics Meetings, January, 2001.
• with Weichao Ma and Dorene Mboya, "Variability of Referees' Ratings of conference Papers", Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 34, Number 2, September 2002, pp. 178-182.
• with J. Paul Myers, Jr., "The State of Academic Hiring in Computer Science: An Interim Review", SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 30, Number 4, December 1998.
• "Modules to Introduce Assertions and Loop Invariants Informally Within CS1: Experiences and Observations", SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 30, Number 2, June 1998, pp. 31-35.
• "Collaborative Learning: A Working Paper" for the working group on "Computer Supported Collaborative Learning" at ITiCSE, Conference on Integrating Technology into Computer Science Education, at Uppsala Sweden, June 1-5, 1997.
• "Collaborative Learning: A Case Study for CS1 at Grinnell College and UT-Austin", Proceedings of the 28th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, February, 1997.
• with G. Michael Schneider and the Liberal Arts Computer Science Consortium, "A Revised Model Curriculum for a Liberal Arts Degree in Computer Science", Communications of the ACM, Volume 39, Number 12, December 1996, pp. 85-95.
• Abstract data types: specifications, implementations, and applications (with Nell Dale), Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1996.
• "An expert system to place incoming students in mathematics and computer science classes" (with Vikram Subramaniam and Ivan Sykes), Journal of computer science education 5 (1994), no. 2, 137-148.
• "A classification of data types" (with Nell Dale), Journal of computer science education 3 (1992), no. 3, 223-232.
• The limits of computing Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1994.

created 4 April 1995 last revised 23 May 2008 photograph by Grinnell College Office of Public Relations
For more information, please contact me at (walker@cs.grinnell.edu)