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Department of Computer Science (Purdue University)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Department of Computer Science
TypeAcademic department
EstablishedOctober 24, 1962 (1962-10-24)
Department HeadPetros Drineas
Location
305 N University St
,
West Lafayette
,
Indiana
,
49707
,
United States
Websitehttps://cs.purdue.edu

The Department of Computer Science is an academic department within Purdue University specializing in computer science. It was the first computer science department established in an American university.

History

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The first computer Purdue installed was an IBM card-programmed electronic calculator in 1952 for Carl Kossack's statistical laboratory.[1] In October 1954, Alan Perlis proposed and acquired a more powerful Datatron 204.[1] It was used to create the Purdue Datatron compiler, one of the first algebraic compilers created.[2] In December 1960, Purdue Research Foundation and Remington Rand came to an agreement to install a Univac Solid State 80 allowing Purdue to be the first university to schedule its students' courses by a computer.[2] Two years later it was replaced with an IBM 1401 and a planned complementary IBM 7044 was superseded by an IBM 7090.[1] On October 24, 1962, Purdue's board of trustees approved splitting the college's Division of Mathematical Sciences into three academic departments: mathematics, statistics, and computer science.[1] This ratification establishes Purdue as the first computer science department in a US university.[1] The Computer Sciences Center, which had been split from Kossack's original laboratory,[1] would assist with computing services for the entire university and teach programming for machines.[3]

Samuel Conte served as head of the Computer Sciences Center and lead the newly formed computer science department.[4] The department started with seven instructors including Conte.[5] M.S. and Ph.D. programs were initially the only degrees offered[5] with B.S. degrees added in fall 1968.[6] Prospective graduate students were required to take ten courses including three from each of the main areas of the department: numerical methods, programming systems, and theoretical computer science.[5] Numeric analysis and theory had well-established foundations for Ph.D. programs to build on while programming systems was more nebulous with Saul Rosen's experience helping evaluate theses.[5]

From 1970 to 1980, the number of regular faculty increased from 15 to 22 but the department still lacked sufficient instructors relying on graduate teaching assistants.[5] During this time period, the department was rated in the top ten computer science departments but lacked scientific respectability from their science and engineering peers.[5] Several courses required overhauls which improved courses but professors lacked manpower to keep classes current.[5] In 1979, Conte stepped down as department head succeeded by Peter J. Denning.[7]

Student enrollment increased dramatically entering the 1980s from 350 students in fall 1980 to 550 the next year.[8] The university's administration opposed limiting incoming computer science freshmen but lacked the computing resources to support the courses.[5] Denning resigned in 1983 with John Rice taking over as acting head and eventually taking up the full role a year and a half later.[9] In 1984, the Memorial Gym was selected to be remodeled and house the department tripling space and increasing the capacity of undergraduate and graduate majors.[10] Following the student enrollment crisis, a five-year plan was developed in 1986 to increase the quality of the department which included new faculty appointments, smaller class sizes, and tripling research funding.[11] That same year, incoming registrations relented—dropping below 200 new students—signalling the end of the undergraduate influx.[5] The growing pains from the 1980s caused the department's national ranking to fall from the top ten to the high teens.[9]

By the mid-1990s, another computer science enrollment wave swept American universities.[9] Conflict over space and resources between Rice and Harry Morrison, the Dean of the College of Science, led to Rice resigning as head in late July 1995.[9] Wayne Dyksen became acting head in May 1996, replaced by Ahmed Sameh in January 1997.[9]

To handle large enrollment increases and to centralize teaching, research, and offices originally spread across five buildings, a new building for the discipline was proposed.[12] A facility costing $20 million was proposed with the state pledging $13 million with $7 million to be contributed by private donors.[13] Richard and Patricia Lawson gave $4.7 million, the largest donation, to the project thereby resulting in the building being named after them.[14] In 2002, Susanne Hambrusch succeeded Sameh as head of the department.[15] Aditya Mathur took over from Hambrusch as department head in 2007[12] but later resigned from the leadership role in 2010 citing a lack of a computer science major in the College of Engineering.[16] Sunil Prabhakar was appointed interim head and later became the department head in 2012.[12] In 2019, Dongyan Xu filled the department head role.[17] The head of the computer science department from 2020 to 2023 was again Sunil Prabhakar.[18] In 2023, Chris Clifton became interim department head before being succeeded by Petros Drineas in 2024.

People

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Notable faculty

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Notable alumni

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rosent, Saul; Rice, John R. (1994), "The Origins of Computing and Computer Science at Purdue University", Studies in Computer Science, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 31–44, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1791-7_5, ISBN 978-1-4613-5723-0, retrieved 2023-03-03
  2. 1 2 Koss, Susan (1963-03-16). "IBM Machines On University Grow Rapidly". Purdue Exponent. pp. 1, 5. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  3. ↑ "Computing Center". Physics Today. 15 (11): 88. November 1962. doi:10.1063/1.3057886. ISSN 0031-9228.
  4. ↑ "Division of Math Sciences Clarifies Structure". Purdue Alumnus. Vol. 50. 1962-12-01. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rice, John R.; Rosen, Saul (1994), "History of the Computer Sciences Department at Purdue University", Studies in Computer Science, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 45–72, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1791-7_6, ISBN 978-1-4613-5723-0, retrieved 2023-03-10
  6. ↑ "Computer Science Department Begins Undergraduate Program". Purdue Alumnus. Vol. 55. 1968-06-01. p. 36. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  7. ↑ "Denning to head Purdue department". Journal and Courier. 1979-05-14. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  8. ↑ Jensen, Laurie (1981-09-08). "Computer survival input needed". Journal and Courier. p. 11.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Rice, John R.; Rosen, Saul (2004-05-24). "Computer sciences at Purdue University-1962 to 2000". IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. 26 (2): 48–61. doi:10.1109/mahc.2004.1299659. ISSN 1058-6180. S2CID 28745326.
  10. ↑ Hudecek, Karla (1984-01-25). "Purdue to interface gym and computers". Journal and Courier. p. 17.
  11. ↑ Atallah, Mikhail; Comer, Douglas; Dunsmore, Herbert; Frederickson, Greg; Rice, John (1986), "A Five Year Plan for Excellence", Department of Computer Science Technical Reports, retrieved 2023-03-19
  12. 1 2 3 Lea., Pyle, Robin (2019). First in the Field : Breaking Ground in Computer Science at Purdue University. Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-912-0. OCLC 1117643608.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ Geller, Marc B. (2003-03-29). "At 40, computer science looks at its past, future". Journal and Courier. pp. 15–16.
  14. ↑ Brown, Tanya (2006-09-16). "Purdue dedicates computer science facility". Journal and Courier. pp. 9, 12.
  15. ↑ "Appointments". Journal and Courier. 2002-05-26. p. 30.
  16. ↑ Bart, Jeff (2012-02-29). "Combining major offers increased opportunities". Purdue Exponent. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  17. ↑ "Purdue announces new computer science department head". Purdue Exponent. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  18. ↑ "Heads of the Department of Computer Science - Department of Computer Science - Purdue University". www.cs.purdue.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
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