David Finkel's Home Page

I'm a member of the faculty of the Computer Science Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Additional information is available in my departmental home page.

Important Links

Office Hours

Slides from IMGD More Insight Presentation 2015

Silicon Valley Project Center -- Information for Sponsors

MQP Topics

Research Activities

My research interests revolve around issues of computer system performance evaluation. I have been involved in research projects that use queueing theory, computer simulation, and measurement to determine or predict the performance of computer systems. My research projects have studies the performance of operating systems, computer networks, and distributed computer systems.

I am a member of the PEDS (Performance Evaluation of Distributed Systems) Research Group at WPI, one of many research groups in the department. The group consists of faculty (including Professors Claypool, Wills and Kinicki) and students (mostly graduate). We meet weekly to discuss the work we are doing as well as discuss current research in the larger research community.

I am also active in research in the area of Computer Science Education. Among my recent published papers are papers concerned with peer learning in introductory computer science courses, and the use of projects in undergraduate systems and networks courses.

I am one of the faculty teaching in the major in Interactive Media and Game Development.

Teaching Activities

The following are courses I am currently teaching or have recently taught.

• Paradigms of Computation: CS2136 catalog description and course materials.
• Webware: Computational Technology for Network Information Systems: CS4241 catalog description and course materials.
• Distributed Computing Systems: CS4513 catalog description and course materials.
• Computer Networks: Architecture and Implementation: CS4514 catalog description and course materials.
• Introduction to Computer and Communications Networks: CS513 (graduate) catalog description.
• Computer Systems Performance Evaluation: CS533 (graduate) catalog description and course materials.
• Advanced Topics in Operating Systems: CS535 (graduate) catalog description.

Undergraduate Projects

I generally advise MQPs in the areas of computer performance evaluation, especially performance of computer networks and operating systems. Additional information is available in the description of proposed MQP Topics.

Prof. David Finkel  

Computer Science Department

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

100 Institute Road

Worcester, MA 01609, USA.

Email:  dfinkel@wpi.edu

Phone: (508) 831-5416

FAX:    (508) 831-5776   

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