UO Computer and Information Science Department
Computer and Information Science at the University of Oregon is a leading computer science department established in 1970. It has been consistently ranked among the top 100 computer science programs over the decades. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks the graduate program as tied for 63rd with Iowa State University, University at Buffalo—SUNY and the University of Iowa, placing the computer science program 1st in the state of Oregon.
In the past 20 years, students and researchers from the CIS department have made developments in the fields of algorithms, artificial intelligence, computational biology, computer networks, data science, human–computer interaction, parallel processing, quantum computing and software engineering.
History
Initially founded in 1970, Deschutes Hall was dedicated for the CIS department on Oct. 16, 1989 as the part of a $45.6 million dollar project with the Cascade, Streisinger and Willamette Halls in the current Lokey Science Complex. Deschutes Hall on the UO campus was complete in the Winter Quarter of 1990, along with the other Halls in the same year. Construction of the building was funded primarily through a United States Department of Energy grant sponsored by Oregon governor Victor G. Atiyeh and United States senator Mark Hatfield. Deschutes hall is connected by a skybridge to the Lewis Integrative Science building. The department is part of the College of Arts and Sciences.Research Activities
Research projects as well as hands-on systems and networking courses are held in the Intel Systems research and education laboratory. The CIS department hosts opportunities for research in the following areas:- Artificial intelligence
- Computational science
- Computer security
- Data science
- Human-computer interaction and visualization
- Networking
- Operating systems
- Parallel processing
- Performance evaluation
- Programming languages and compilers
- Software engineering
- Theory
Labs
- AIM - Advanced Integration and Mining Lab conducts artificial intelligence, data integration, and data mining research
- ACISS - Applied Computational Instrument for Scientific Synthesis maintains a supercomputer for university research and uses it to conduct high performance computing studies
- NETSEC - Network Security Research Lab conducts research in network security
- NIC - Neuroinformatics Center researches the application of computer science and numerical computation in the field of neuroimaging
- Oregon Network Research Group - research in applied areas of network systems
- Oregon Systems Infrastructure Research and Information Security Laboratory
- Wearable Computing Group - focuses on the development and evaluation of wearable and mobile computing for facilitating and augmenting human collaboration
Academic Programs
The CIS Department offers academic programs leading to the B.S., B.A., M.S., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees.Undergraduate
The department offers two undergraduate degree majors. Both majors can be obtained with a B.S. or B.A. Minor programs are also offered.Computer and Information Science (CIS)
As the flagship program at the UO Department of Computer and Information Science, the CIS major covers a various studies ranging from fundamental mathematics of computational complexity to designing the next generation of Internet protocols to organizing and distributing vast stores of genomics data.The CIS major has seven available tracks: Business Information Systems, Computational Science, Computer Networks, Computer Security, Database and Informatics, Software Development, and Foundations with freedom of choice in elective courses.
Math and Computer Science (MACS)
The MACS program is designed for students studying both mathematics and computer science without a specialization in either subject. The program sets students up to use tools to analyze complex problems and to compute the answers to them. The joint major program offers students the chance to explore computer science while maintaining a foundation in mathematics.Graduate
The department offers Master's and Doctoral degree programs. The Master's degree requires a thesis or project. The Doctoral degree requires a directed research project, oral comprehensive exam, and dissertation and defense.Academics
currently ranks the graduate program as tied for 63rd along with Iowa State University, University at Buffalo--SUNY, and University of Iowa, placing it as 1st for such computer science programs in the state of Oregon.Conferences
The department organizes and hosts two annual conferences.- Security Day, which consists of talks and discussion on cybersecurity
- The Oregon Programming Languages Summer School, a two-week program on types, logic, semantics, and verification
Student groups
Association for Computing Machinery chapter
The university has an established student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, an international learned society for computing. Members frequently gather to host workshops and outreach events, provide undergraduate tutoring, and promote open-source software.Web Dev Club
The Web Dev Club, founded in 2013, organizes workshops and industry-sponsored events on web development tools and methodologies such as Bootstrap, Django, and Ruby on Rails open to the general public.Women in Computer Science
Women in Computer Science is a student-run organization that provides networking opportunities for people in the department who identify as female. WICS's primary objective is to increase enrollment of women in all computer science departments and fields.People
Students
Faculty and Staff
Notable Alumni
- Kent Beck, creator of agile software development
- Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president of Skype Technologies
- Rebecca Wirfs-Brock, founder of Wirfs-Brock Associates and inventor of Responsibility-Driven Design