MPCS Announces 4 New Appointments

Andrew Binkowski, Gerry Brady, Amitabh Chaudhary, and Jeff Cohen have received new appointments within the Masters Program in Computer Science (MPCS).

Andrew Binkowski has been appointed to Assistant Clinical Professor, Gerry Brady and Amitabh Chaudhary have been appointed to Associate Clinical Professors, and Jeff Cohen has been appointed to Adjunct Assistant Professor.

Amitabh Chaudhary

Amitabh Chaudhary has been appointed to the rank of Associate Clinical Professor in the MPCS, as of October 1, 2016. He previously taught at the University of Notre Dame and is interested in algorithms, machine learning, and in using prediction markets to aggregate public opinion.

Professor Chaudhary received his PhD in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University in 2002. He also received a B.Tech. in Engineering (1992) from the Indian Institute at Kharagpur and an M.Tech. in Computer Science (1996) from the Indian Institute of Technology at Mumbai.

His research is in design and analysis of algorithms, primarily online algorithms. His algorithms have addressed fundamental problems in distributed databases, network routing, spatial data management, inventory control, and graph theory.

Professor Chaudhary first joined the MPCS in January 2014 as a Lecturer. During his time teaching in the program, he has taught Machine Learning, Advanced Data Analytics, Natural Language Processing, and Intermediate Algorithms.

A student enrolled in his Machine Learning course said, “Professor Amitabh is fantastic. He cares a lot about equipping his students with the skills they are looking for. He’s also clearly working to make his classroom as effective and engaging as possible. This class may be the best I’ve taken at this university.”

Andrew Binkowski

Andrew Binkowski has been appointed to the rank of Assistant Clinical Professor in the MPCS, as of January 1, 2017. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Computation Institute. In addition to teaching, Professor Binkowski will lead the development of a new specialization in Mobile Computing for the 12-Course MS in CS Program.

Professor Binkowski received his PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Illinois in 2004. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1998 and an MBA in 2001, both from the University of Illinois. After his PhD, he joined Argonne National Laboratory where he rose to the position of Assistant Scientist.

Professor Binkowski’s main research is in bioinformatics. He acted as lead investigator for discovery studies on human pathogens, coordinating computational and high-throughput screening efforts, assay development and crystallographic binding studies, as well as developed an automated fragment screening library design system for crystallographic studies. Results from this study have resulted in two compounds advancing to clinical trials.  In addition to his bioinformatics work, Professor Binkowski has an active collaboration with the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education (CEMSE).  He is currently a co-PI on an NSF grant to create prototype learning trajectories, which include specific goals, intermediate objectives, performance expectations, and sample tasks and assessments, to teach topics in computer science and mathematics to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.  

Professor Binkowski first joined the MPCS in Autumn 2011 as a Lecturer. He was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in January 2016. During his time teaching in the program, he has taught iOS Application Development, Advanced iOS Development, and Bioinformatics for Computer Scientists.

A student enrolled in his iOS Application Development course said, “Andrew is one of my favorite professors in the MPCS. I really appreciate how much he challenges his students… Andrew does a great job of presenting the material in a way that’s engaging, and his homework assignments really pushed me to get a better grasp of the material we had covered in class.”

Gerry Brady

Gerry Brady has been appointed to the rank of Associate Clinical Professor in the MPCS, as of January 1, 2017.

Professor Brady received a BA (1972) and an MA (1990) from the University of Chicago. She received a PhD, with honors from the University of Oslo in 1997. She joined the MPCS (then known as the Computer Science Professional Program) as a Lecturer in 1999.  She was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and the Mathematics Counselor in 2001. In 2012, she was promoted to Adjunct Associate Professor.

During her time teaching in the program, she has taught Discrete Mathematics, Algorithms, Advanced Algorithms, Linear Algebra, and Foundations of Computational Data Analysis. Professor Brady’s ability to teach complex mathematical concepts to students from a wide variety of backgrounds, including students without a formal mathematics or computer science background, is essential to the success of our diverse student body.

A student enrolled in her Algorithms course said, “Gerry Brady is an outstanding professor and is very effective and knowledgeable. She can’t be praised highly enough for her commitment to helping students learn the material effectively.”

Jeff Cohen

Jeff Cohen has been appointed to the rank of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the MPCS, as of January 1, 2017.

Professor Cohen received his BS in from Northwestern University and has more than 20 years of experience in industry.  He is currently an independent consultant and entrepreneur who specializes in custom application development and developer training.

Professor Cohen first joined the MPCS in 2013 as a Lecturer. During his time teaching in the program, he has taught Concepts of Programming, Web Development, and Advanced Web Development.

A student enrolled in his Concepts of Programming course said, “Jeff has many strengths. He clearly cares a lot about teaching. He’s accessible, jovial, and invested in stoking students’ sense of curiosity. He was outstanding in answering any question that was thrown his way.”