CDS Welcomes Six New Faculty Members
The Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences (CDS) is excited to introduce six new faculty members to our team. These esteemed professionals are trailblazers in blending technology and data analysis across their disciplines. Their addition marks a major milestone for CDS and Boston University, reinforcing our dedication to advancing data science education and research.
Jeffrey Considine, Adjunct Associate Professor in Computing & Data Sciences, is responsible for designing and teaching multiple courses within the online Master's in Data Science program. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer at Solved Technologies where he remains on the board. Prior to Solved Technologies, he served as Chief Scientist at Cogo Labs from 2007 to 2021, incubating and selling several startups. His research interests include algorithms, randomized data structures, and solving games. In 2014, he shared the IEEE ICDE 2014 Influential Paper Award for his work on approximate aggregation techniques. Read more.
Scott Ladenheim, Associate Professor of the Practice in Computing & Data Sciences, has a background in applied mathematics and data science. He moved to the Netherlands to work as a software engineer for Next Ocean in 2017. During his time there, he developed software to predict ship-motions based on a time series of radar images and ship-motion data. Scott later worked as a senior analyst programmer and technical team lead for Hybrid Intelligence, a division within Capgemini Engineering, then returned to the US in 2021. Shortly thereafter, he joined the applications team within BU's Research Computing Services (RCS) as a Senior Research Computing Applications and Data Specialist. Read more here.
Siddharth Mishra-Sharma, Assistant Professor in Computing & Data Sciences, works bidirectionally at the intersection of AI and physics, with a focus on applications towards fundamental physics discovery. His research examines how AI can be used to make better use of complex datasets from current and future experiments in cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics across diverse modalities, scales, and physical systems. At the same time, he uses data from physics as a sandbox for methodological developments with broad applicability in the natural sciences, particularly focusing on neural approaches to simulation-based inference, scalable generative modeling, probabilistic/differentiable programming, and symmetry-preserving data processing. Read more.
Wayne Snyder, Lecturer in Computing & Data Sciences and Associate Professor Emeritus in Computer Science, earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988 with a thesis in Artificial Intelligence, focusing on computational approaches to algebraic reasoning. Upon joining BU, Wayne continued his research in computational logic with colleagues in France and Germany, and taught a wide range of courses from introductory computer science to advanced courses in programming languages and automated reasoning, making an indelible mark on generations of students. In recent years, he developed courses in Computational Audio and Natural Language Processing, demonstrating his versatility and dedication to staying at the forefront of the field. Read more.
Seth Villegas, Lecturer in Computing & Data Sciences, is a philosopher whose main specialization is in technological ethics. He teaches the ethics component of several BU Spark! practicum courses and DS 380: Data, Society and Ethics. Seth is also a faculty contributor to the Online Master’s in Data Science (OMDS). With the help of Professors Neha Gondal and Wesley Wildman, he organizes a series of presentations every semester on computational methods as part of the Computational Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Initiative. Seth hosts a podcast, called DigEthix, that he hopes can demystify the ethical challenges of emerging technologies. Read more.
Josh Von Korff, Lecturer in Computing & Data Sciences, studied physics and math as an undergraduate at Harvard University and physics as a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining BU, Josh was a data scientist in industry for three years, including one year as a data science consultant.His work on education research involved teaching calculus in a physics context, including layers (constructing Riemann sums) and representations (graphs, tables, equations, and diagrams). He also studied infinitesimals, including amounts (mass) and changes (time). Further work involved the effectiveness of physics education reforms as well as the categorization of techniques for teaching physics labs. Read more.
By Shanaya Udeshi, MS COM'25