Paul Lin, Ph.D.

A computer scientist who believes a liberal arts skillset can make a difference personally and globally.

Analytical | Dedicated | Generous

In courses like Algorithms, The Art of Programming, and Data Structures, students will learn Computer Science from expert Paul Lin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Fu-Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of North Texas. “No matter what profession you are pursuing, the bits and bytes you learn from a Computer Science course will enrich your field of study and broaden your career path,” he says.

What’s your background? Where were you before McDaniel and when did you start here?

My bachelor’s degree is in Applied Mathematics, and when I was an undergraduate there were many fields — such as pure Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science — one could pursue for graduate studies and careers. I chose to pursue graduate studies in Computer Science. It was when the Internet started to pick up and the world could not function well without it. When the World Wide Web emerged, knowledge about how to develop and operate computer systems was increasingly needed. After my master’s degree, I worked as a lab computer system manager for a research institute and joined a team as a web database developer.

Given my work experience on many projects, I realized that the complexity of any practical computer system was ever growing, and I would need to acquire further skills to catch up with real-world practices. I pursued my Ph.D. in Computer Science, focused on software architecture and system engineering. I have enjoyed researching software system engineering and development, high-performance, parallel, and distributed computing ever since.

Why did you choose McDaniel as a place to work? What inspired you to become part of the Hill?

The mission and first principles of McDaniel College are no stranger to me, as the essence of the guiding principle of my undergraduate alma mater adopts a similar liberal art mission that cares about humanity and science, with knowledge to better serve self, our globe, and beyond. I like how our college community is set up on the Hill and being part of it to fulfill even larger missions.

What have you enjoyed most during your time at McDaniel?

I like the time shared with students when they walk into my office hours to pay a visit. Whether it’s a classwork discussion, discovery in coding practices, or ideas about a Computer Science capstone project, I am always thrilled for the opportunity to connect with students both in and out of a classroom.

I also enjoy student-faculty summer research, when there is a window of opportunity in which I can invite students to join me and form a research group with a designated timeline and dedicated goals. I am always excited to conduct experiments on computer systems and to analyze data for research discoveries and results. I get huge enjoyment from seeing students’ summer research papers accepted for conferences, so that our research group can attend together.

What do you hope students take away from your courses?

Computer Science is a fun subject to learn and its applications are wide-ranging. Computers have become the de facto tools when it comes to problem-solving in almost all fields of studies. No matter what profession you are pursuing, the bits and bytes you learn from a Computer Science course will enrich your field of study and broaden your career path.

Directory Profile for Paul Lin

Paul Lin, Ph.D.

About Prof. Lin