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Tim Lancaster will be the first to say how much the computer science industry has evolved since he graduated ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ in 1997. But what has not changed is his appreciation for the education and experience that ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ provided and laid the foundation for his career.

“The computer science program at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ taught me how to learn complex things, how to put them in relationship to one another, and system-based thinking,” said Lancaster, president and COO of Indigo BioAutomation. “ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ introduced core principles for good technology arrangement and use … and that has propelled lot of my career.”

Indigo specializes in tools for medical laboratory testing, processing five to six million patient samples a month. Lancaster has worked with the company for just over 13 years. Before that, and upon graduating from ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½, he was hired as a software engineer for Beckman Coulter.

When Lancaster transitioned from direct computer science work to more leadership positions, he still relied on the foundational skills from ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.

“The fundamentals I learned at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½, and the level of care and attention that was given to me in my undergraduate education has allowed me to continue to evolve in my career,” said Lancaster. “At ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½, it’s not about learning specific computer languages or other details that may quickly be obsolete.  The focus is on foundational skills and underlying concepts that hold true over time and prepare you for a very rapidly changing world.”

Lancaster does not see a decline in the importance of computer science training on the horizon. In fact, he sees the opposite happening. And that ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ is preparing the type of technology graduates needed for tomorrow. He specifically cites ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½’s emphasis on team dynamics, learning principles over specific technology, and the relationship building that is done in the department as crucial skills for upcoming computer scientists.

“Those elements set ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ apart from other programs, and are why ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ has been a consistent provider of exceptional talent,” said Lancaster.  

He also believes being in close proximity with other engineering disciplines is a unique aspect of an undergraduate computer science education. 

“You have to understand how to interact with those other disciplines in order to build the future world,” said Lancaster. “ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ is a place where you can do that, especially compared to other, larger environments where students are more isolated from other groups. … Other schools may teach you enough to get started. But not all schools are going to prepare you for a world that’s changing as fast as ours. ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ is well positioned to do that.