New MET chair focuses on changes

Imagine witnessing the growth of a technology-based department -- within a large, private research institution of higher education -- under your guidance and direction. Welcome to the world of Lou Chitkushev, a Boston University associate professor recently appointed as Metropolitan College's Computer Science Department Chairman.

Since it was created in 1979, the department has evolved from what Chitkushev called a classical computer science program -- which offered fundamental courses -- to a department invested in state-of-the-art areas including information assurance, telecommunications, medical informatics, computer information systems, biometrics, digital forensics and more.

"In order to stay competitive, we need to offer academic programs that reflect rapid changes in the areas of computer and information sciences," he said in an email, "and provide students with the most up-to-date selections of individual courses, certificates and degree programs."

At President Robert Brown's urging, Chitkushev said the department has developed new initiatives that will be implemented over several years. These include Information Assurance graduate programs, Medical Informatics, Interactive Multimedia and Project Management of Globally Distributed Software Development. There are also plans to develop new online programs in computer science and telecommunications.

"Progress in each of these areas is critically dependent on our faculty and their development," he said.

According to MET Dean Jay Halfond, Chitkushev brings a balance of strong professional value and humility to the position.

"MET wants to be academically solid and rigorous, but at the same time professionally very relevant and engaged," Halfond said. "It's very important that we have faculty who are very well connected in the professional needs of their field . . . and Lou, I believe, really has that sensitivity."

MET Academic Programs Associate Dean Tanya Zlateva said Chitkushev was appointed chairman ad Interim in January 2006 after Zlateva stepped down from her ten-year stay as chairman. After a nationwide search, Chitkushev was selected.

"[Chitkushev] is a perfect fit," she said. "Chitkushev has outstanding capabilities . . . he has a way of relating to people and motivating them."

Zlateva praises Chitkushev for his ability to formulate goals and communicate them with faculty accordingly.

"He has very precise language, and he's to the point," she said. "But there is human warmth to him . . . in his relations with students, with faculty, with staff."

In 2005, the department launched within the Computer Information Systems sector the first complete in-house online Masters of Science program. The program introduced mandatory proctored final exams -- something Chitkushev said offered a unique opportunity for students.

"[The proctored final exams] ensured the academic integrity of the online courses and offered online students an educational experience similar to the one experienced by the students in our on-campus courses," he said.

Chitkushev said enrollment was 336 in the program's first year. Within a year, enrollment had jumped to 1,150.

Chitkushev has worked in several sectors of the biomedical field, including development of tools that modeled properties of computer network traffic. He came to teach as associate professor in 2002.

Halfond said he sees a bright future for the computer science department under Chitkushev's guidance.

"The big challenge in the department is being smarter than our students and smarter than the industry," he said. "I see the chairman's role in leading us as making sure we're constantly current and making sure that we're enrolling high-caliber students locally, nationally and internationally."

Chitkushev said the department is leading a pathway into new fields of study that will help him focus on faculty teamwork.

"When you are a professor, your performance is measured by your individual success," he said. "As a chairman, one has to realize that his or her performance is measured by the success of the others . . . in this case the faculty at the department."

Chitkushev said he is fortunate to be leading faculty who highlight different areas within the department.

"Each of our faculty has a unique role and expertise," he said. "[Faculty] directly contribute to the excellence of the entire department."

Still, Chitkushev said teaching will not be far from his mind.

"Staying in direct touch with the academic practice is essential for any scholar," he said. "I will definitely try to continue my research and will teach one course per semester."