The goal of this program is for you to learn the concepts and skills that are part of advanced work in computer science with particular applications of machine learning and robotics to biology. This program will explore both theory and practice. In winter quarter, it is designed for advanced level computer science students who have taken lower division CS and are familiar with introductory data structures & algorithms (DSA). In spring quarter, we will welcome continuing CS students, including those from Computer Science Foundations, and all lower division students interested in biology and computation In particular, we will look at the foundations of machine learning and applications to genetics, robotics, and collaboration with Evergreen’s Principles of Farming program.
This program will explore current themes in computer science. The program covers a selection of topics from machine learning, data structures & algorithms, robotics, data analytics, crop plant identification through computer vision, introductory biology and genetics, bioinformatics, and biology labs. These topics are offered in several 4-credit threads each quarter. We will explore these threads through lectures, programming and biology labs, workshops, and seminars.
In winter, the instructors are Richard Weiss and Paul Pham. A thread in Reinforcement Learning (4 credits) will cover the theory and application of Monte Carlo methods, dynamic programming and temporal difference learning. A thread in Functional Data Structures & Algorithms (4 credits) will continue DSA from fall quarter in the Java and Scala programming languages with topics including immutable data structures, graph algorithms, genetic algorithms for optimization, and linear programming, all from a functional approach. A thread in Hexapod Robotics (4 credits) will cover high-level programming of a shared class hexapod robot for computer vision applied to farming. Students who would like to take 16 credits of upper division computer science in winter can also take the courses in the Cybersecurity, Python I, Database II, or Web Design certificate courses or work on a project as part of an Independent Learning Contract (ILC) with instructor approval.
In spring, the instructors are Catherine Kehl and Paul Pham. A thread in Data Analytics, Microcontrollers, and Automation (8 credits) will cover analyzing large datasets, especially for genomics, and robotics from the circuit and component level. Each student will have an individual electronics kit costing around $50 included as a student fee, with optional sensors and actuators. A thread in AI Engineering (4 credits) will cover how to connect data pipelines and existing libraries in computer vision, classification, and multilinear regression in production software systems to automate agricultural data management. Students who would like to take 16 credits of upper division computer science in winter can also take the courses in the Cybersecurity, Python II, or Web Design certificate courses, work on a project as part of an Independent Learning Contract (ILC), or take an Undergrad Research seminar with instructor approval.
This full-time daytime program will have some components taught on the Olympia campus. Students who are interested in participating fully remotely should contact the faculty to discuss that option.
Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:
Winter
*4 - Reinforcement Learning
*4 – Functional Data Structures & Algorithms in Scala
*4 - Hexapod Robotics for Farming
Spring (in planning)
*4 - Data Analytics, Bioinformatics
*4 - Microcontrollers, and Automation
*4 - AI Engineering for Farming
Registration
Computer science students are expected to have coursework in discrete math, computer architecture, data structures, and one year of computer programming. These prerequisites are covered by completion of Computer Science Foundations and Data Structures and Algorithms, or equivalent courses elsewhere. Please contact Richard Weiss (weissr@evergreen.edu), Catherine Kehl (catherine.kehl@evergreen.edu), and Paul Pham (paul.pham@evergreen.edu). If you have some but not all of the prerequisites to see if there are parts of the program you can take, or if you are unsure if you meet the prerequisites.
Students should email the faculty member, Paul Pham, with a brief statement describing how they have met the prerequisites.
Academic Details
Computer Science, including software development, Web development, data science, and IT.
All 12 credits of the work in this program are designed to be upper-division math/science. Students who successfully complete the program requirements will earn upper-division credit in computer science.
Schedule
Revisions
| Date | Revision |
|---|---|
| 2024-12-03 | Faculty and description updated. Richard Weiss is now winter quarter only, and Catherine Kehl will be joining the program in spring. |