Computer Science professor Tom Tiahrt
When you think about a computer science professor, does a nerdy, awkward, comic book reader with glasses come to mind? Most likely. That’s not the case with Prof. Tom Tiahrt, however. He is down to earth, full of humor, and a pretty cool guy.
Tiahrt is teaching in NW’s computer science department this year. His course load encounters a wide variety of computer science classes ranging from business to spreadsheets to human computer interactions. Tiahrt has a passion for creativity. “This is what I love about software,” he said. “The learning, experimenting, thinking and teaching.”
Before beginning his work at NW, Tiahrt received a degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He was a Chief Scientist for Bright Planet Corporation, where he developed information retrieval software. But most recently Tiahrt was a Ph.D. student in Computational Science and Statistics.
Tiahrt said he’s most looking forward to “working with students to lead them into an understanding of how to work with, think about, develop and use the tools of computing to solve problems.”
Most professors may get nervous about their class sizes or the material they get to teach but, in Tiahrt’s mind, he says that “being caught in the middle of campus and overrun by a band of former Heemstrites during another one of their precipitous outbreaks of collective insanity” is something he would get a little nervous about.
After his day job ends, Tiahrt has a variety of activities that he likes to participate in, such as reading, running and relaxing. He also enjoys bicycling, gardening and hiking.
By the strong wind and the intervention of God, Tiahrt has made it to the Midwest and he’s happy to stay. He’s eager to show students how fun computers can be and his spunky personality is sure to keep your attention, even at 7:45 a.m.