This week, our first Campus Class-Act nominated professor will be showcased. Early Wednesday morning, I found myself in Halligan, feeling entirely out of place. However, Professor Hescott was so welcoming, friendly, and enthusiastic that by the end of our meeting, it felt as if I was chatting with a friend. I was ready to sign up for a Computer Science course myself. On a side note, he also has the most adorable puppy ever!
Department:Computer Science
Hometown:Montrose, Michigan
What do you teach? Comp 11: Intro to Computer Science, Comp 15: Data Structures, Comp 167: Cryptography, and Comp 170: Theory of Computation
How many years have you taught at Tufts?This is the beginning of my fifth year
What’s your favorite aspect of Tufts?The students, by far.
Why are you passionate about what you teach? I never would’ve thought that I would teach Computer Science as an undergraduate. I was a math major and had a lot of difficulty in Computer Science. I wasn’t actually planning on being a teacher, although I kept coming back to it. I took seven years off from undergraduate to graduate school and when I went back to grad school, I realized I really wanted to be in teaching and in an academic institution…I realized I just really enjoyed being in the classroom.
What made you go back to Computer Science when you had difficulty in it? As an undergrad, I took a version of Comp 11 and got a C. I decided that it was required for my math major, and I’d never take another Computer Science class again. (Laughs) When I was much younger, I really liked to tinker on my computer. But…it was such a large class, with no ability to get any help…it wasn’t a very fun experience. So part of me, really wants to make sure [Computer Science] is a fun experience for people.
What’s your favorite aspect of teaching? Again, the students, and the interaction with students. It’s really important to me that students are participating in class and throwing out ideas, whether the ideas are right or wrong…their thought process is amazing for me.
What were you like in college? (Laughs) I was more shy than I am now…That’s not entirely true. (Laughs) I was shy in the sense that I didn’t feel like I could be as open with people as I liked to be. It was difficult for me, everything…I was coming from a very small town to a big city [Boston,] and I didn’t know a lot of people and I liked to meet people, but I was much more reserved than I am now.
What was your favorite part of college? Undergraduate for me wasn’t nearly as fun as graduate school. However, I worked at the community service center at BU, which was just starting then, and I was in charge of the Siblings Program or the Big Brother Big Sister Program on campus…working with people that were really like-minded, more social, and into citizenship. That wasn’t the theme at BU at the time or in the way it’s such a theme at Tufts now.
What advice would you give to college students? (Laughs) It’s funny as an advisor I give so much advice. I think it’s important while people are at school to take courses they are interested in and that make them happy. One thing I do see is so much of their schedule for the next four years is planned out, sort of a “I want this major, and I want a particular thing on my resume.”
Instead, the advice I got from a senior when I was a freshmen, was to take this amazing course on American Furniture, an Art History class. It was one of the best college classes I ever took. I got an experience I normally wouldn’t get. Take advantage of your time here and use the distribution requirements as an opportunity to take an unusual course. But, I do think a lot of students are mature and on the ball. They should be giving me advice!
Why do you like Boston as a city? I love Boston as a city. I arrived in 1989, and absolutely fell in love with it. Many of my friends are surprised I didn’t grow up in Harvard Square. (Laughs). Yes, it seems like I lived there all of my life. I’m enamored with Boston, it’s a wonderful city. There’s so much to do, there’s great restaurants…it’s a small town with big opportunities.
I see a lot of students don’t spend the time or weekends in the city. I’m surprised they don’t spend more time in the city, that’s what we just did at BU so I’d encourage that.
Who inspires you? These days, it’s continually my students and their energy. Students can make connections that I just don’t always see and have so much creativity…it’s inspiring to see that, it renews me.
If you have had any wonderful, awesome, inspirational professors, please feel free to e-mail me their names so I can interview them in “Campus Class-Acts!” (Alexandria.chu@tufts.edu)