Faculty for Computer Science & Innovation Major

Daniel Buckstein

Biography

Originally from the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, Daniel Buckstein holds degrees in Computer Science and in Game Development & Entrepreneurship. He has a keen interest various areas of mathematics, including calculus and linear algebra, which carry over to computer animation algorithms and graphics programming. His other development interests include low-level game engine and tool design, virtual reality, and augmented reality; these have been demonstrated in both industry and academic contexts. His passion for programming intertwines with his passion for teaching and he is always looking for innovative and fun ways to deliver course content.

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

Ray Tracing in One Weekend

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Wei Kian Chen

Biography

Wei Kian Chen received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1996, 1998, and 2005, respectively.

His research interests are Association Mining, Classification, Data Mining, Database, Machine Learning, Pattern Recognition, Software Engineering and others.

He is an active member of ACM, IEEE, SIGCSE and CCSC. In addition, he is also a member of the International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines (Upsilon Phi Epsilon) and the Honor Society for International Scholars (Phi Beta Delta).

Distinctions & Awards

2020 Edward R. Lyman Professorship

Publications & Abstracts

• Predictive high-level feature representation based on dictionary learning
• Applying software engineering in CS1

Professional & Academic Affiliations

• Association for Computing Machinery
• Special Interest Group Computer Science Education
• Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon International Honor Society for the Computing & Information Disciplines
  
• Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars

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Christopher DeGuise

Biography

Christopher DeGuise is a professor at Champlain College and the founder and game developer at Instance Entertainment. DeGuise is an entrepreneur and a technologist with more than 20 years of experience working as an IT professional. DeGuise has an equal interest in the technology and business sides of his field, and believes technology has the ability to automate and simplify our lives.

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Jeevan DSouza

Biography

Dr. Jeevan D’Souza has been an adjunct professor of computer science and mathematics at Champlain College 365体育官网 since 2017. Prior to joining CCO he has worked as an academic, IT manager, computer programmer, and electronics engineer.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) from Shivaji University, India, in 2000, a master’s in EE from the University of Texas in 2003, a graduate certificate in computer engineering at Polytechnic Institute of NYU in 2005 and a PhD in computer science from Nova Southeastern University in 2012.

His teaching interests are in the fields of digital circuit design, computer programming, robotics, and embedded systems. He currently lives in Miami and is enjoying the sunshine.

Publications & Abstracts

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Adam Goldstein

Biography

Adam Goldstein is an Associate Professor and an Academic Program Director in Cybersecurity at Champlain College. He also serves as Academic Director of the Leahy Center for Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity at Champlain where he helps oversee undergraduate students working on a wide range of projects. Adam has vast industry experience as an information security officer having previously established cybersecurity operation programs at Dartmouth College and Villanova University. With over 20 years’ experience in information security at institutions of higher education and a background in systems and network engineering, he has a thorough understanding of the unique security challenges in the modern enterprise. Adam received his BA from Rutgers University, a Master of Science in Information Assurance from Norwich University, and a Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensic Science from Champlain College. He is a Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Outside of work, Adam is an avid distance runner and greatly enjoys living and exploring the Green Mountains of Vermont with his family.

Distinctions & Awards

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA)
RRCA – Road Runners Club of America: Certified Distance Running Coach

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“Cybersecurity is not just about protecting your data, it’s about protecting your freedom.”

—Laura Galante

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Murat Gungor

Biography

Dr. Gungor holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer and Information Science, which he obtained in 2006 and 2001 respectively, from Syracuse University in New York. He also holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Sakarya University in Turkey, which he completed in 1997.

Dr. Gungor brings a wealth of experience to his current position at Champlain College, having previously taught Software Engineering courses at both Bilkent University and TOBB University in Ankara, Turkey. In addition to his academic background, he has also held various positions in the industry, ranging from researcher and software engineer to project manager and director.

His primary areas of expertise include object-oriented programming, software architecture, design and development, structural analysis, and quality improvement.

Favorite Quote

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”

—Rumi

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Brian Hall

Biography

By education and trade, he is a programmer and engineer. His academic interests are interdisciplinary. He is a technologist who chooses to think critically about technology and encourages others to do the same.

Publications & Abstracts

You can read more about my work at https://www.brianrhall.com.

You can find my code projects at https://github.com/brianrhall.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“If you want to increase your success rate”?double your failure rate.”

—T.J. Watson

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Jim Hoag

Biography

Jim has taught Computer Science and Technology related courses for over 30 years. He was the Chair of the Department for CNCS, Forensics, and CIT until his retirement in 2017. He continues to teach occasional classes.

Publications & Abstracts

• Evolution of a Cybersecurity curriculum
• An Analysis of Academic Background Factors and Performance in Cyber Defense Competitions
• College student novice spreadsheet reasoning and errors

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David Kopec

Biography

David Kopec joined the faculty at Champlain College in 2016 after five years in the startup world. He served both as a co-founder and as a consultant to early stage tech companies with a concentration in iOS app development. David developed a passion for computer science education which led him to author the introductory programming book “Dart for Absolute Beginners” (Apress, 2014) on Google’s emerging language. In parallel, he worked part time as adjunct faculty in New York while running his consulting practice.

David is active in the open source community as the author of several popular Swift data structure projects. He is the author of the “Classic Computer Science Problems” book series, which includes “Classic Computer Science Problems in Swift” (Manning, 2018), “Classic Computer Science Problems in Python” (Manning, 2019), and “Classic Computer Science Problems in Java” (Manning, 2020). An avid podcaster, he has served both as a guest and host on multiple podcast series. A native of New England, David has lived throughout the United States, Canada, and England. He holds an AB in Economics from Dartmouth College, an MS in Computer Science from Dartmouth, and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business & Technology.

Publications & Abstracts

Fun Computer Science Projects in Python (2025, NoStarch)
Classic Computer Science Problems in Python (2019, Manning)
Classic Computer Science Problems in Java (2021, Manning)
Classic Computer Science Problems in Swift (2017, Manning)
Dart for Absolute Beginners (2014, Apress)

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

Kopec Explains Software podcast
Business Books & Co. podcast

Favorite Quote

“The journey is the reward.”
― Chinese Proverb

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Furkan Paligu

Biography

Furkan Paligu is an assistant professor of computer networking and cybersecurity in Champlain College. He has his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Marmara University, Master’s degree in Cybersecurity Engineering from Istanbul Sehir University, and Doctorate degree in Digital and Cyber Forensics Science from Sam Houston State University. He has taken part in various information technology and cybersecurity projects in governmental institutions. An extensive part of his work has been focused on large scale projects in complex domains including data leak prevention systems, voice translation engines, customer application and management systems, static code analyzers, malware scanning systems operating on cloud architecture, electronic signature systems, and electronic cash registers.

Publications & Abstracts

PUBLICATIONS & ABSTRACTS

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

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John Pile Jr

Biography

John Pile Jr is a Technical Director and Principal Engineering Manager at Schell Games. Previously a full-time professor for Champlain College, John now teaches as an adjunct faculty for the Game Studio.

John has a deep background in digital entertainment, video games, and interactive story-telling experiences for PCs, Mobile, Game Consoles, and specializes in MR / VR / XR. He is the author of “2D Graphics Programming for Games” and has presented at the Game Developer Conference on topics in computer graphics education.

Publications & Abstracts

2D Graphics Programming for Games

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Vikas Thammanna Gowda

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Alexandre Tolstenko

Biography

Alex is an experienced senior software developer who joined Champlain College in 2022. With over 15 years in the software industry, Alex has a diverse background as a software, game, blockchain, and reliability engineer, having held various positions including developer, architect, and CTO in startups. Throughout their career, Alex has delivered successful products to the market, accumulating over 250 million downloads.

Alex specializes in game development, general problem-solving, algorithms, product delivery, and team building. Some notable deliveries include implementing multiplayer networking and physics determinism for racing games, developing blockchain technology and IaaC for an NFT-based crowdfunding platform, and porting a game engine (including physics) from ObjectiveC to multiple platforms.

Originally from Brazil, Alex enjoys sports, learning new skills, and exploring emerging tech trends. They hold a BS in Computer Engineering from UNICAMP and an MS in Computer Science from UFPI, both in Brazil.

Distinctions & Awards

Unity Awards Finalist 2012;
Best paper award on SAE Aerodesign 2014;
Best paper award on international Coloproctology journal 2017
Featured Startup on Innovativa Brazil 2018;

Publications & Abstracts

Awesome GameDev Resources

Favorite Quote

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

—Walt Disney

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