Laid back and knowledgeable about computers are just some of the words students use to describe Ronald Finkbine, associate professor of computer science.

Before coming to IU Southeast, Finkbine worked for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

“I was a contractor in the software development,” Finkbine said. “I worked at Wright Patterson right after I got my bachelor’s degree, and I took night classes to work on my masters.”

Patterson Air Base is a research lab for the Air-Force.

“I worked on five or six different projects there within five years,” Finkbine said.

Finkbine said he received his doctorate in computer sciences from New Mexico Mining and Technology and is currently working on research about Algorithm Recognition.

“Can we have a computer program recognize another computer program?” Finkbine said.

He also said this idea has been around for years.

“This was a new idea 15 years ago,” Finkbine said. “There are a lot of unexplored and interesting parts of it. It’s very rewarding, when it works. It is amazing.”

However, Finkbine said he slowed down on his research to teach more and work as the head of the Department of Computer Science.

Finkbine said, in the Computer Science Program, there is a lot of competition with other nations, not just the United States.

“Two of my students went off and got doctorate degrees in computer science,” Finkbine said. “It is great. People get bachelor’s degrees, but the ones that go further give you that special warm spot in your heart.”

Finkbine started at IU Southeast 12 years ago.

“I came here because of proximity,” Finkbine said. “We wanted to be close to our home where our family lived in Dayton, Ohio.”

Finkbine wife, Annette, works as a registered nurse. They also have three children — Keegan, Maelyn, and Levi.

“Keegan is a recent college graduate and has a degree in music and will be a band director,” Finkbine said. “Maelyn is a physical assistant.”

Finkbine said Levi is his youngest son and is special needs.

“My wife and I tend to spend a bit of effort to find out what will be best for him,” Finkbine said. “He is at this point of 18, so it’s a very critical time for him. We are trying to figure out what’s best for him.”

Finkbine said he first went to college for accounting.

“I have an associate’s degree in accounting,” Finkbine said. “I was about to go back for a bachelor’s [in accounting]. In 1983 when I saw the first computer —  the Commodore Vic-20 and Commodore 64 — at a family member’s house, all the flashing lights and looking at text. I can make a living doing that, somehow.”

Jeramey Tyler, computer science junior, said he has Finkbine in two different classes this semester.

“Finkbine is very friendly and easy to talk to,” Tyler said. “He is very talkative.”

Tyler said this is his first semester with Finkbine.

“Finkbine is extremely knowledgable,” Tyler said.

Finkbine said he spends a lot of time in the IUS Library reading.

“I spend a lot of my time reading up-to-date in computing,” Finkbine said. “I like the Library a lot on campus. I always check the stacks QA76.6 — the computing area — where a lot of the new and old research material goes.”

By JEREMY EILER

Staff

jreiler@ius.edu