Interested in the faculty members behind our programs? Get to know them through our monthly faculty spotlight.
Why did you choose Concordia?
When I graduated from Kent State University, Ohio, we decided to move to Michigan where we have some relatives, I started looking for a job at HigherEdJobs website. I found that Concordia University had announced an assistant professor position in computer science. I wanted to apply because Concordia is a Lutheran university, and I prayed to God to help me make the right decision. Then I applied and thank God I was accepted to this position in a short time.
What do you love about Concordia?
I love that Concordia is one of the Christian universities that help students to develop in mind, body, and spirit. What I love the most about Concordia is that the staff are very friendly and helpful.
What are your goals for your program?
My current goal for the program is to attract more students to study computer science major.
What’s the most interesting part of your field that the general public might not know?
Maybe the most interesting part is that most computational problems can be solved easily and quickly with programming and computer science tools, especially when we need to process a lot of data.
What’s the one key lesson from your work here at Concordia that you hope students take away from interacting with you and learning from you?
I hope that students will get good communication skills and the ability to work in a team. This will help them in their future careers.
What should your students take away from the Computer Science program?
They should develop a good skill and ability in software programming, design, development, and implementation. I also hope that they will enjoy the program.
What’s your education and career background?
- PhD in Computer Science, Kent State University, 2019
- Sc. in Computer Science, University of Zakho, 2011
- Sc. in Computer Science (rank 2nd among 102), University of Baghdad, 2005
What are some of your career highlights/accomplishments?
I contributed to nine high quality peer-reviewed research papers published in the top venues in the field of intelligent transportation systems and data visualization, including IEEE transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, and IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. I also contributed to an NSF-supported project, which led to an open-source software called TrajAnalytics.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like shopping, travelling, watching movies with my family.
Why should students study Computer Science?
Studying computer science helps the students to develop problem-solving skills. Students in computer science department learns how to design, develop, and analyze software and hardware that are used to solve problems in many fields of our life. Also, the students will learn how to program which is very fun and useful for their future career as the programmers are in great demand.
Why should students consider coming to Concordia?
The student should consider coming to Concordia University, because the learning experience in Concordia is amazing as Concordia offers strong programs, and good research opportunities. In addition to that, the professors are very willing to help students.
— Vanessa Lane is the Content Marketing Lead at Concordia University and can be reached at vanessa.lane@cuaa.edu. When she's not at work, she can be found playing with her kids or watching NBA basketball with her husband.
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.