Cesim Erten joining UA Department of Computer Science!

Dr. Cesim Erten will be joining the Department of Computer Science faculty in fall 2023. We asked Dr. Erten to answer our "Getting to know you" questions. Responses below. 

Educational background/short bio:
I received my BSc degree in Computer Engineering in 1998 from Bilkent University in Ankara,  Turkey. I received MSc and PhD degrees in Computer Science from The University of Arizona in  2000 and 2004, respectively. After graduating I worked as a postdoctoral researcher and adjunct  lecturer at the University of Arizona for one year and then moved to Istanbul in 2005. Since then I  lived in Istanbul and Antalya, and worked as a full-time faculty member at Computer Engineering  departments of three different universities in Turkey, other than my sabbatical year in 2015, which  I spent at the CIPF institute in Valencia, Spain.  

Research interests:
My main research interests are in algorithms, more specifically graph algorithms and their  applications to bioinformatics problems. In the last five years I was mainly interested in problems  related to identifying driver genes/pathways important for different types of cancer. 

Why did you apply to join the University of Arizona Department of Computer Science?
The University of Arizona has one of the best Computer Science departments in terms of  academic quality. It has top professors and instructors in their fields and sharing the same work  environment with such brilliant minds will have a positive effect on my intellectual growth. The  students are highly qualified and motivated which will increase my own motivation for further  academic improvement. Besides, I really like Tucson and it feels nice to be able to contribute to  the department and the university that has already given me so much in terms of knowledge,  experience, and an opportunity to meet so many nice people. 

What made you interested in pursuing a career in higher education/the academy?
Lifelong learning is an important long-term goal for me and it can be most flexibly achieved  through a career in academia. The gratifying experience of sharing knowledge with colleagues  and young computer science enthusiasts is another motivation. 

What are you looking forward to most in coming to UA?
Working at a friendly department, discussions with the colleagues on how to best teach computer  science, in-depth study of special computer science topics with interested students. 

Any other information you would like students, staff, faculty, alumni, etc. to know about you. 
I already know many of the faculty members who were at the department while I was doing my PhD. I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of them, the staff, and the students. I enjoy
reading sci-fi, if I am not spending time with the family. Once in Tucson going for hikes will be one of my favorite activities.