Familiar face around math and computer science department
MINOT, N.D. – Graduating from the math and computer science program here at Minot State, Darren Seifert ’12 has since been a part of the culture in the department, now as a professor.
Before starting in 2016 as an assistant professor of computer science, Seifert went on to get his master’s in computer science at the University of North Dakota.
“I really enjoyed my time here, and a lot of the professors I had, Scott Kast (computer assistant professor) and Larry Atwood (retired computer associate professor), were really active in working with the students and I thought that was really cool. It made me want to pursue an advanced degree so I went and did that and got recruited to apply to MSU after I graduated,” he said.
His current position at Minot State includes department chair, which involves a little less teaching and a bit more planning.
“I still work with a lot of the same students and teach a couple of classes every semester, but most of the planning I do is scheduling classes each semester, finding faculty for each position, and hiring adjuncts,” Seifert said.
Seifert not only enjoys teaching students in the classroom, but in a different setting where they get to experience the fun side of their profession. The computer science club is where students really get to be creative and explore more of the profession.
“Giving them some chances to work on projects that are more career oriented or explore areas of computer science that they don’t get to do in the classroom, helping students get ready for programming competitions or building a competition robot in the spring is really rewarding when you get to see them compete and succeed,” he said.
When he isn’t teaching in the classroom or helping with the first Lego league in town, Seifert enjoys some stress relief activities that he took up over the summer.
“I started making candles as a stress reliever. I don’t do anything crazy, but it’s something fun that I do in my free time,” Seifert said.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 02/10/22
