Kerry Smith, Ph.D.

“My favorite Ben Franklin quote is ‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.’ This perfectly describes my teaching philosophy. My introductory computing students have at least one hands-on lab experience per week. There is no doubt that the best way to learn computing is to do computing.”

Title

Professor of Computing

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Auburn University – Auburn, AL
  • M.A., Miami University – Oxford, OH
  • B.A., Franklin College – Franklin, IN

Year Joined Franklin

1996

Expertise

Parallel programming

What are introductory programming classes like at Franklin?

Students in my introductory computing classes have at least one hands-on experience per week during regular class time. This is the best way for students to learn how to write code. Students will actively write code with me while I am explaining new concepts. This gives them immediate feedback and the experience they need to learn new concepts. During lab sessions, students read problem descriptions and then create programs on their own that solve the problems posed to them.

Selected Professional Accomplishments

I have published several articles in mathematical journals. However, my new passion is encouraging my students to participate in local and regional programming competitions. I really enjoy solving problems and writing programs to solve these problems. I share my enthusiasm with my students. My students enjoy competing against other students from regional colleges and universities. I am also an avid programmer on the side. My most recent research interest is in parallel programming whereby programs make use of the multi-core processors in order to speed up processing large amounts of data.

What Students Say

“Dr. Smith carries out a perfect balance between aiding his students and educating them when students ask for help about a particular assignment.” – Connor Shepler ’16

In My Spare Time…

In my spare time I enjoy running trail races around central Indiana. Running in the natural beauty of the woods is a great way to release stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.