Computer Science
Stephen Rainwater
Title: Chair and Associate Professor of Computer Science
Department: Computer Science
Building: COB 315.01
Email: srainwater@uttyler.edu
Phone: 903.566.7089
Degrees
- Ed.D. Texas A&M University - Commerce
- M.S. Texas A&M University - Commerce
- M.S. Stephen F. Austin State University
- B.S. Stephen F. Austin State University
Biography
Dr. Stephen B. Rainwater is Chair and Associate Professor of Computer Science at the
University of Texas at Tyler. His professional career spans more than forty years
as an educator in computer science and mathematics at the community college and university
levels; the last thirty-seven 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.
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 include ISTE, ISTE Computer Science Network, ACM, ACM-SIGCSE, CSTA, CS4TX,
TCEA, TCEA CS/TA-SIG, and Phi Delta Kappa.
At UT Tyler, he has served as President of the Faculty Senate and is campus director/PI
of the NSF-funded undergraduate research grant program (LSAMP) which endeavors to
increase the number of students from underrepresented groups 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 Professor of Computer Science. Dr. Rainwater has
published over twenty articles in refereed journals and conference proceedings as
well as thirty-five presentations at academic conferences.
Dr. Rainwater earned a doctorate in education from Texas A&M University-Commerce
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, operating systems, and data communications.
Data Communications Animations
Digital Principles Excel Workbook (.xlsx)
Curriculum Vitae