Department of Computer Science at Tennessee Tech

Department of Computer Science at Tennessee Tech Tennessee Tech University's Department of Computer Science is where computer scientists soar.

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉 Sometimes, one class can change everything.For Ben Eckart, Class of 2008,...
09/09/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉

Sometimes, one class can change everything.

For Ben Eckart, Class of 2008, that class was data structures with Mark Boshart, Ph.D. It changed the way he approached problems and set him on a path from struggling programmer to AI researcher.

“What I learned in that class changed my life.”

He also remembers advice from Martha Kosa, Ph.D., who suggested that computer science might be better described as “structured problem solving.” Eckart agreed: “Studying data structures and algorithms completely transformed how I think.”

During his time at Tech, Eckart earned three degrees between 2008 and 2010, including degrees in computer science and computer engineering. His experience reflected the technology of the era: Java, C and C++ were staples, and Python became a favorite.

Today, Eckart is a senior research scientist at NVIDIA, working in areas including 3D world models, perception and generative AI. He remains connected to Tennessee Tech through the Machine Intelligence and Data Science (MInDS) Center advisory board.

🟪 Alumni: What was the one class, professor or lesson at Tech that changed the way you think? Share your story in the comments!

🟨 Read more about Ben Eckart: https://www.tntech.edu/engineering/news/articles/csc/2026-9-3-computer_science_alumni_spotlight_ben_eckart_class_of_2008.php

💾 SAVE THE DATE: Nov. 6
CS alumni and friends are invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Department of Computer Science the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming: www.tntech.edu/CS40

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech
Crawford Alumni Center at Tennessee Tech
Machine Intelligence and Data Science Center at Tennessee Tech
NVIDIA

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉 A new millennium brought big changes in Tennessee Tech’s Department of Co...
09/02/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉

A new millennium brought big changes in Tennessee Tech’s Department of Computer Science—including a new chairperson in 2005.

Faculty Flashback ⚡

Doug Talbert, Ph.D., joined the faculty as a professor in 2002 and became department chair in 2005, succeeding Srini Ramaswamy. He served as chair through 2015, helping guide the department through a decade of rapid technological change.

Laptops became commonplace. Students connected to the internet from labs and dorms. Texting, smartphones and Wi-Fi were becoming part of everyday life. MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Skype changed how people communicated, while Google, Gmail and other web-based services changed how we worked and learned.

As technology evolved, so did the CS department. Significant milestones included achieving its first ABET accreditation in 2006 and moving from the College of Arts and Sciences to Engineering in 2010. CS continued adapting its curriculum as the field evolved and expanded its graduate education, adding a Ph.D. program to its already existing M.S. program.

Talbert knows that evolution firsthand. After earning a mathematics degree from Tech in 1991, he went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from Vanderbilt University before returning to Tech. Today, he remains a professor of computer science and serves as co-director of Tech’s Machine Intelligence and Data Science (MInDS) Center, helping prepare students and researchers for an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

Alumni and students: Have you had Dr. Talbert for a class? What do you remember about studying CS at Tech in the 2000s? Your first laptop? Dial-up giving way to Wi-Fi? MySpace? Facebook? Share a memory in the comments!

SAVE THE DATE: Nov. 6, 2026
We’re celebrating 40 years of the Department of Computer Science the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming. Sign up for event updates: www.tntech.edu/CS40

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉April Crockett made Tennessee Tech history in 2004, earning not only her s...
08/31/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉

April Crockett made Tennessee Tech history in 2004, earning not only her second degree from Tech but becoming the first master of science graduate in computer science.

Her journey began as an undergraduate student. After earning her bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2001, she joined the university’s new CS graduate program the following year.

More than two decades later, Crockett, a senior lecturer, is a cornerstone of the department’s introductory curriculum, having taught CSC 1300 more than two dozen times since joining the faculty full-time in 2018. She also leads the department’s teaching assistant hiring and training efforts and is a co–principal investigator on a National Science Foundation–funded project focused on modernizing introductory computing education.

And that’s not all.

Crockett is pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science at Tennessee Tech, continuing to help shape the program that shaped her own career.

Alumni: Did you overlap with Crockett as a student or faculty member? What do you remember about those early days in the CS graduate program? Share a memory in the comments!

Read more about Crockett:
https://www.tntech.edu/engineering/news/articles/csc/2026_8_26_computer_science_alumni_spotlight_april_crockett_class_of_2001_2004.php

💾 SAVE THE DATE: Nov. 6
CS alumni and friends are invited to join us the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Department of Computer Science! Sign up for event updates and share your memories: www.tntech.edu/CS40

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉Next on our timeline: The World Wide Web. Let’s travel back to 1995, when ...
08/27/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉
Next on our timeline: The World Wide Web.

Let’s travel back to 1995, when Tennessee Tech’s Department of Computer Science added “WWW” to everyday language with its first web server.

Across campus—and the world—people were connecting in ways never before possible as the internet became more widespread and accessible. It changed the way students accessed information, communicated and learned, as more course materials moved online.

Suddenly, the world was just a click away.

Professor emeritus Martha Kosa was there through it all, having joined the CS department in 1993:

“By the end of the 1990s, it was clear that the combination of PCs, networking and the World Wide Web was fundamentally changing our everyday lives. With search engines and email, the famous adage ‘It’s a small world after all’ became reality.”

Graphical web browsers like Mosaic, Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer were making the Web easier to explore. Then came Yahoo! and Google. Online shopping took off with websites such as Amazon and eBay.

At Tech, the CS department introduced its first Java course in 1997, giving students a chance to experiment with building early Web tools.

Alumni: Do you remember the first time you used the World Wide Web? What was the first website you visited or the first thing you searched for? Tell us in the comments.

💾 SATE THE DATE: Nov. 6, 2026
CS alumni and friends are invited to join us the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Department of Computer Science. Sign up for updates: www.tntech.edu/CS40

* Photo: The Eagle Yearbook, 1996

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech University Archives and Special Collections

When students ask, “Will I fit in here?” our answer is yes! 💜💛We were thrilled to welcome our newest computer science fr...
08/26/2026

When students ask, “Will I fit in here?” our answer is yes! 💜💛

We were thrilled to welcome our newest computer science freshmen and transfer students to Tennessee Tech. During Week of Welcome, they joined us for "Logging in to CS," a fun mixer designed to help them get connected, meet professors and classmates, and start finding their place in the CS community.

They received their own debugging duck—a fun CS tradition and must-have for our majors—before heading to the Mix and Mingle Involvement Fair to explore student organizations.

First connections can make a big difference, and we want all CS students to know they are welcomed, supported and part of our community!

And this is just the beginning.

We’re looking forward to a year filled with opportunities for our students to learn, connect and get involved.

Know a future Golden Eagle who might fit right in with us? Share this post with them! 👋

Special thanks to Tech's CEROC student ambassadors for helping with Logging in to CS and to TNTech Dining for donating door prizes from our campus Starbucks!

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech
Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center

08/24/2026

🟪 Then: CS student - 1988
🟨 Now: Ph.D. grad and CS faculty member

Eric Brown, Ph.D., has worn lots of hats in Tennessee Tech’s Department of Computer Science.

His story began as a computer science student in 1988. Nearly four decades later, he’s still part of the CS community—and he just added Ph.D. graduate to his resume.

Along the way, Dr. Brown has been a computer lab technician, adjunct instructor, systems administrator, cybersecurity leader and now senior lecturer.

CS students: What will your “then and now” look like someday?

Share: Have you had Dr. Brown for a class? Share a memory in the comments and help us celebrate the people who have been part of the CS story at Tennessee Tech!

Tennessee Tech University
TnTech College of Engineering
CEROC

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉 Eric Brown, Ph.D., has worn lots of hats in Tennessee Tech’s Department o...
08/24/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉

Eric Brown, Ph.D., has worn lots of hats in Tennessee Tech’s Department of Computer Science—but his story started as a student in 1988.

After graduating in 1993, he returned to the department the following year as a computer lab technician. In 1995, he began teaching Intro to Computing as an adjunct instructor.

In 1997, he became the department’s first full-time systems administrator while continuing to teach several courses over the years. He earned his M.S. in computer science in 2006.

After a brief move to the Tennessee Department of Education’s Office of the Chief Information Officer in 2013, he returned to Tech in 2016 as assistant director of the university’s Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center and resumed his adjunct instructor role in 2018.

In 2023, he became a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and associate director for workforce development for CEROC. He also directs the Golden Eagle Cyber Certificate Dual Enrollment Program.

Then came another milestone: He completed his Ph.D. in computer science at Tennessee Tech in May 2026. 🎓

From student to faculty member to Ph.D. graduate, Dr. Brown’s journey spans nearly four decades of computer science at Tech.

Alumni and students: Have you had Dr. Brown for a class? Share a memory in the comments and help us celebrate the people who have been part of the CS story at Tennessee Tech!

💾 SAVE THE DATE: Nov. 6, 2026
We’re celebrating 40 years of the Department of Computer Science the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming. Sign up for event updates: www.tntech.edu/CS40

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech
Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉The first day of classes looks different than it did decades ago, when the...
08/20/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉

The first day of classes looks different than it did decades ago, when the Department of Computer Science was established in 1986, but some things never change. There are always new classes, new problems to solve and new groups of computer scientists beginning their journey.

Today, our CS students are kicking off fall semester with a "Games on, Golden Eagles!" spirit as they score some snacks in the CS office in Bruner Hall.

As we continue to celebrate 40 years of the Department of Computer Science, we're looking back at the many generations of students who started their CS journeys at Tech.

Alumni: When did your journey begin?

What do you remember about your first days studying computer science at Tech and the faculty and classmates who helped shape your CS journey? Share your memories in the comments!

SAVE THE DATE: Nov. 6, 2026
We're celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Department of Computer Science on the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming. Sign up for updates: www.tntech.edu/CS40

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech

08/20/2026

🏈 GAME ON, GOLDEN EAGLES! 💜💛

Welcome back, CS students. It’s the first day of classes, and the Computer Science office in Bruner 238 is ready to help you fuel up for the semester!

🏈 Pick up a football brownie

🍿 Grab some popcorn

✍️ Sign the list so we know you stopped by!

📱 Vote for our CS Spirit Days display.
(Scan the QR code in the office or vote at the link in our bio. One vote per person per day!)

We’re going for Fan Favorite, so help CS bring home the win!

Tennessee Tech University
TnTech College of Engineering

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉Save the date: Nov. 6, the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming! Sign ...
08/13/2026

Celebrating 40 Years of CS at Tennessee Tech 🎉
Save the date: Nov. 6, the evening before Tennessee Tech Homecoming! Sign up for updates: www.tntech.edu/CS40

Martha Kosa wasn’t yet part of the Tennessee Tech community when the Department of Computer Science was established in 1986. But that same year, while taking a computer architecture class offered remotely by Virginia Tech, something caught her eye: a student wearing a purple jacket with Tennessee Tech written in gold.

She wondered, “Where is Tennessee Tech?”

Seven years later, in 1993, Kosa “logged in” to Tennessee Tech’s Department of Computer Science as one of the first three tenure-track faculty members hired by Tech with a Ph.D. in computer science. Until then—going back to the 1970s, when computer science emerged as a major—CS courses were taught by professors with advanced degrees in mathematics.

For the next 28 years, until her retirement in 2021, Kosa was part of numerous department firsts:

🟣 She and three other CS faculty members were among the first at Tech to put course materials online.
🟡 She taught the first course in Tech’s computer science master’s degree program in 2002.
🟣 She served as founding advisor for Tech’s first ACM-W student chapter.

And that’s just the beginning.

Read more: https://www.tntech.edu/engineering/news/articles/csc/8-11-26-computer-science-martha-kosa-faculty-flashback-martha-kosa-1993.php

💛 Alumni: Share your favorite Martha Kosa memory in the comments!

Tennessee Tech University
College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech
Crawford Alumni Center at Tennessee Tech

Address

110 University Drive
Cookeville, TN
38505

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Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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+19313723691

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