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Advances in Computer Science are responsible for technological innovations that have revolutionized so many aspects of our lives. Computer scientists will be responsible for further breakthroughs that can only barely be imagined today. To accomplish these tasks in ways that are sensitive to the needs of individuals and society, we need highly educated computer scientists with a strong background in the liberal arts. The courses offered by the Pomona College Computer Science Department, together with those offered by Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna Colleges, empower both majors and non-majors to contribute to, and use tools from, this rapidly evolving field.
Computer Science investigates the nature of computation, with applications ranging from the design of sophisticated programs and machines for solving difficult problems to understanding how the mind works. It is a science, but it is not about nature. Like a natural science, computer science has theoretical and experimental components. It is unlike the natural sciences in that computer scientists design some of their own objects of study. Links to mathematics, linguistics, philosophy and cognitive science, as well as applications in the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities.
The Pomona College Computer Science Department offers a wide variety of courses for both majors and non-majors, with multiple introductory level courses as well as advanced electives in areas like artificial intelligence, computer security, and high performance computing. Along with solid coverage of the core areas of computer science, the department also maintains close relations with Linguistics and Cognitive Science, offering both introductory and advanced courses designed to appeal to students with interdisciplinary interests.
Because of their close proximity students can take advantage of courses offered by the 10 computer science faculty members at Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna Colleges. For example, advanced electives at other colleges include computer graphics, software design, and database systems. As a result, Pomona students have available a broader selection of upper division courses than may be found at other liberal arts colleges.
Faculty pride themselves on close interaction with students in classes, in senior projects, and in research. Biweekly colloquia make available lectures by world famous computer scientists and provide information about jobs and graduate school. Informal social events provide the opportunity for students and faculty to get to know each other outside of the classroom.
Computer Science faculty:
• Professor Kim Bruce '70 is the chair of Computer Science, having recently joined Pomona after 28 years at Williams College. His research is in programming language design as well as the semantics and pragmatics of natural languages.
• Professor Everett Bull '71 served as coordinator of the program for over 15 years. He is a logician whose interests include complexity theory and computer security.
• Associate Professor Yi Chen's interests include matrix computations, algorithms, and high performance computing. She has also done research in computer science
education.
• Assistant Professor Sara Owsley Sood joined the Computer Science Department in 2007. Her research spans artificial intelligence, network arts, information retrieval, and human-computer interaction.
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