TechBytes (formerly CS/DS Tea) is a weekly department event where students and faculty gather to discuss computing related topics. Refreshments and (sometimes) pizza are served. Below is a list of the special events planned for the Spring 2024 semester! New attendees are always welcome! 

Unless otherwise noted, TechBytes events usually take place on Thursdays at 11:30am-12:30pm in Ford 102.

Add to your calendar

Interested in presenting at TechBytes? Please contact Haiyan Cheng at hcheng@willamette.edu. To sign up for news about TechBytes events, or for other questions, contact Lizzi at esmendez@willamette.edu.

Spring 2024

January 25th

Anne Lapour, "How to find and apply for internships"

The internship search is exciting, yet tough at times. We can help with that!

Join Anne Lapour, Interim Executive Director of Career Initiatives, for an informative inside look at how to navigate the internship search as well as how to create a competitive internship application that highlights your unique skill set.

February 8th

Joseph Skudlarek, "Career Advice: A Dinosaur's Perspective"

What's it like to work in high tech, and what are some important career issues? What are good situations to seek out, and bad situations to avoid? What's some helpful advice, especially for those just starting out in their career? Get an insider's view, illustrated with war stories, from someone who's still riding the wave, from punch-cards to smart cards, from mainframes to microprocessors, from microcode to no code, and many things in-between.

Joseph P. SKUDLAREK is a 50-year software professional in industrial high tech, primarily as a CAD/EDA and OS developer. He has worked for startups and stalwarts, has a BSEE from Princeton and an MSCS from Stanford, 5 patents, and is a senior member of the ACM. He is a happily married husband and father who enjoys family, friends, music, kayaking, hiking, and baking sourdough bread.

February 22nd

Haiyan Cheng, Cindy Richards, and Shouvik Ahmed Antu, "Exploration of Large Language Models in Teaching"

Learning Circle Presentation: Recent advancement of highly accurate and scalable Large Language Models (LLMs) stormed the world by showing its power and popularity. The newly released GPT-4(Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4) provided both text and image input capability. Microsoft followed up by releasing a full-fledged copilot in their 365 suite. The impact of the LLMs to higher education and student learning is immediate and urgent.

About the speakers: Professor Haiyan Cheng, Professor Cindy Richards, and Shouvik Ahmed Antu '26, will be giving a talk about Large Language Models (LLMs) in Teaching. You can read more about their research in this Willamette article.

Although this talk may be more relevant to faculty, everyone is welcome to attend!

February 29th

Fred Agbo, "Should we care about adults' computing education? An explication study of broadening participation in computer science education"

Generation Z (Gen Z) are akin to computing and are known as digital natives, whereas many of them are naturally computer savvy. However, recent studies suggest that only 44% of Gen Z folks are computer literate, and 37% do not feel confident with the computing skills needed at the workplace. Consequently, the community of computer science educators has pursued a goal of broadening participation in computing for younger learners and those in colleges. These efforts have unconsciously but significantly left out an important demographic: the adults.

The big question is, why should we care about computing education for adults? This talk tries to provide answers to this important question and discusses findings from an initial study that investigates literature spanning over four decades to gain insights into computer science education in adults.

Fred Agbo is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Willamette University.

Monday, March 18th

FORD 202
Calvin Deutschbein, Fred Agbo, Sammy Basu, Erin McNicholas and Brandon Rodriguez-Hernandez '25, "Inquiry-Based Learning for Equity"

Learning Circle Presentation: College can be a powerful tool for social mobility, but there's a problem. In certain degree programs, there's a connection between how much money you can make after graduating and how many white students are enrolled. This is especially notable in newer fields like computer science and data science. These fields are still figuring out the best ways to teach. Sometimes, methods from subjects like physics or math are not used enough, creating gaps in access for some students. Our research talk will focus on a specific issue: Is a learning approach called inquiry-based learning far for everyone? And, does it help students in computer-related fields do better?

About the speakers: Calvin Deutschbein and Fred Agbo are Assistant Professors of Computer Science at Willamette University. Sammy Basu is a Professor of History and Public Health at Willamette University. Erin McNicholas is a Professor of Mathematics at Willamette University. Brandon Rodriguez-Hernandez '25 is a data science major.

Although this talk may be more relevant to faculty, all are welcome to attend!

April 4th

Info Session: Statistics and Data Science Courses Fall 2024
Interested in taking a data science or statistics course in fall 2024? Come learn about the courses that will be offered from data science professors Heather Kitada Smalley, Kristen Gore, and Hank Ibser. 

FRIDAY, April 5th

FORD 101 (DIGITAL LEARNING STUDIO)
Devrim Bilgili, "Size and shape analysis of silica (SiO2) and gold (Au) nanoparticles"

In the field of nanotechnology, precise control over the size and morphology of nanoparticles is crucial, as their properties are intricately linked to their physical characteristics. Researchers strive to ensure uniformity in particle size and shape to maintain consistency in their behavior, particularly concerning electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. However, accurately determining the dimensions and morphology of nanoparticles poses a significant challenge.

Traditionally, scientists employ UV-vis spectrometry to assess size distribution, although this method may yield inaccurate results, particularly when particles aggregate. Consequently, there is a growing inclination towards utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to capture individual particle images for a more comprehensive analysis.

This study employs sophisticated mathematical techniques to analyze TEM images of nanoparticles, aiming to discern their size and shape distributions. Additionally, researchers investigate the similarities among particles and examine any potential shape variations.

In summary, this research endeavors to deepen the understanding of nanoparticle characteristics, thereby contributing to the advancement of nanotechnological applications.

Dr. Bilgili graduated with a Ph.D from Northern Illinois University. After graduation, he worked at Mayo Clinic  as a statistical geneticist. His area of interest is Biostatistics and Survival Analysis. He also works on modeling infectious diseases, statistical shape analysis and recently modeling CT images for Covid 19 data and length of hospital stay.

April 25th

Kristen Gore, Josh Laison, Inga Johnson, and Finn Browning, "Data Framework for Holistic Program Assessment""

Learning Circle Presentation: Engage in our learning circle to examine critical aspects of diversity, inclusion, and belongingness within BIPOC communities in the realm of Data and Computer Science. Delve into an exploration of data regarding matriculation and attrition trends among BIPOC individuals at diverse educational and professional junctures.

Although this talk will be more relevant to faculty, everyone is welcome to attend!

POSTPONED

Lucas Cordova, "The Future of Learning: AI, Gamification, Social Media, and Inquiry-Based Learning"

Rescheduled date coming soon.

Imagine a world where learning something feels like conquering a quest, and mastering
the skills is as engaging as your favorite game. This talk explores the cutting-edge
intersection of artificial intelligence, gamification, social media, and inquiry-based
learning. We'll delve into how these elements are being woven into powerful
pedagogical tools that cater to diverse learning styles and keep students actively
engaged. In this talk, we’ll explore how education is evolving to be more dynamic,
personalized, and, yes, even fun!

Lucas Cordova is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Willamette University.

Willamette University

Computer Science

Address
Ford Hall
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6077
503-370-6977 FAX

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