The Department of Computer Science at Boise State University is pleased to announce Dr. Nader Rafla as a department chair. Dr. Rafla joined the newly developed Electrical and Computer Engineering program (ECE) at Boise State University in January 1997. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of ECE and had served as the ECE Department Chair for the last three years. Dr. Rafla received his MSEE and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio in 1984 and 1991 respectively. Throughout his career, he has taught courses in the computer engineering area at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His current research interests include embedded and microprocessor based-systems, hardware and IoT security, Evolvable and self-reconfigurable hardware, and FPGA implementations. He has been involved in several industrial R&D projects and in funded research. He has several Ph.D. and MS students working under his supervision. He is also serving as the College of Engineering representative to the faculty senate and the Faculty Liaison to the Graduate Council.
The Department of Computer Science has undergone dramatic growth in the past few years, resulting in the need for structural changes to better manage increased student enrollment, faculty, and research activity. At the end of spring, department committees were formed to divide up these efforts, a similar governance structure to what the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been operating under. Beginning June 1st, Dr. Rafla will oversee this transition through the 2017-18 academic year. Dr. Timothy Andersen, who has served as the Department of Computer Science Chair since 2013, will return to his full-time faculty position in the computer science department as Professor.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Rafla as the new Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Boise State University!