You Are Here
R-MC was among the first independent liberal arts colleges to establish a computer science department.
Department Chair:
Chuck Leska, PhD
Phone: 804-752-3158
E-mail: cleska@rmc.edu
Computer Science
Information technology is transforming the future—and the present—in ever more significant ways. The computer science major at R-MC has a strong liberal arts approach, combining a focus on current skills and concepts with a thorough foundation in both theoretical and practical aspects of computer science.
Define your focus: Students may choose a major, double-major, or minor in computer science as part of their R-MC studies. The computer science curriculum encourages inquiry by providing opportunities for in-depth research, and all computer science majors complete a capstone project.
Learn through doing: Computer science majors find opportunities to apply their skills in practical settings. Tom Becker '06 served as a Web assistant in R-MC's marketing and communications office. Adam Traub '10, now a software engineer, provided computer tutoring to fellow R-MC students and also completed an internship with Genworth Financial. R-MC computer science students have participated as well in a service-learning project working with school children in Haiti. And through a Schapiro Undregraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), R-MC computer science major Mark Lotts '12 teamed with professor John Rabung in the summer of 2010 to research van der Waerden numbers.
Careers in computer science: With IT expertise in high demand, R-MC computer science alumni are building careers in a wide range of fields. R-MC graduate Ying Shapiro served as IT director for catering at the 2008 Olympics with the food-services company Aramark. Bennett Malbon earned an MBA from Babson College's Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business and now provides IT expertise in the health care industry. Andrew Miner is an assistant professor at Iowa State University and recently was awarded an Early CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to study complex systems.
| "I think years from now, when I think back on my experienecs at R-MC, I will remember classes, my relationships with my professors, and spending time with my friends."
Randolph-Macon College student Victoria Cooper '12 is proof positive that the sky's the limit when it comes to college life. Cooper, a computer science major with minors in English literature and studio art, was a scholarship recipient, a volunteer and an artist. And that’s just scratching the surface. A dedicated student, Cooper’s hard work was duly noted. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and Sigma Tau Delta, an English Honor Society. She was the recipient of four scholarships, and in 2010 she received the Douglas W. Foard Phi Beta Kappa Award, which is awarded to juniors who finish their sophomore years with a strong GPA. She also made the Dean’s List all four years of her college career. In 2010, Cooper participated in an internship at Integra Realty Resources (IRR) in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2011, she participated in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As for the future, Cooper was accepted into the Computer Science Graduate Program at William and Mary.
|