Associate Professor of Computer Science
Phone: 903.566.7403
Email: srainwater@uttyler.edu
Building: COB 315.11
Department: Computer Science
Dr. Stephen Rainwater
Dr. Stephen B. Rainwater was Associate Professor of Computer Science (retired full-time
12/31/24) and immediate past department chair at the University of Texas at Tyler.
His professional career spans more than five decades as an educator in computer science
and mathematics at the postsecondary level; the last forty-four years as a faculty
member at UT Tyler. Over the course of this time, he has taught more than twenty-five
undergraduate and fifteen graduate courses. During the Fall 2025 semester, he has
returned to serve as an adjunct lecturer in the department.
Dr. Rainwater's professional leadership has included service as President of the Texas
Computer Education Association, Computer Science Representative on the Board of Directors
of the International Society for Technology in Education, President of ISTE Computer
Science Network, President of the East Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics, program
co-chair of the 1988 NCTM Southwestern Regional Conference, and mathematics section
chair of the Texas Academy of Science. His professional organization affiliations
have included ISTE, ISTE Computer Science Network, ACM, ACM-SIGCSE, CSTA, CS4TX, NCWIT,
TCEA, TCEA CS/TA-SIG, and Phi Delta Kappa.
At UT Tyler, he has served as President of the Faculty Senate, as computer science
department chair for eight years, and since 1992 has been the campus director/PI of
an NSF-funded undergraduate research grant program (UT LSAMP) which endeavors to increase
the number of students from underrepresented populations pursuing graduate degrees
in STEM fields. In 2006, Dr. Rainwater was recognized with the UT System Chancellor's
Council Outstanding Teaching Award. In 2011, he received the US President's Volunteer
Service Award for his work in computing education. From 2008 to 2015, he held appointment
as the Lecil and Barbara Chandler Endowed Professor of Computer Science. Dr. Rainwater
has published over twenty-five articles in refereed journals and conference proceedings
as well as thirty-five presentations at academic conferences.
Dr. Rainwater earned a doctorate in education from East Texas A&M University as well
as graduate degrees in computer science and mathematics. His doctoral dissertation
researched the predictive effects of community college student characteristics on
academic achievement in computer science at the university level.
Teaching and Research Interests
Professor Rainwater’s primary teaching interests include algorithm design and analysis, computer organization, compiler design and construction, data structures, operating systems and programming languages. His research interests and publications have primarily focused on the effectiveness of using low/no-cost software tools and techniques for teaching concepts in computer science including animations for teaching algorithms and dynamic processes, computer organization, operating systems, and data communications.