Rate My Professor Mitchell Theys

Mitchell Theys serves as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Chicago. He obtained his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1999 and has dedicated over 25 years to teaching at UIC, focusing primarily on the core hardware courses required for computer science majors. These include CS 261: Machine Organization, CS 362: Computer Design, CS 366: Computer Architecture II, and CS 466: Advanced Computer Architecture, among many others such as introductory programming with languages like Fortran, Matlab, and C, data structures, discrete mathematics, systems programming, programming practicum, computer ethics, and practicum in computer science presentations. Theys employs engaging teaching methods, including clickers for in-person classes, interactive online textbook exercises, and dedicated office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He prioritizes student success, problem-solving skills, and preparation for job interviews, while serving as faculty advisor for the Linux Users Group and the Association for Computing Machinery Student Chapter, attending their social events to strengthen student relationships. His current interest is improving the undergraduate experience.

In 2020, Theys received UIC's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the university's highest teaching honor, presented annually by the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to up to five faculty members and including a $5,000 salary increase. This accolade recognizes his innovative approaches, such as adapting to online learning during the spring 2020 transition where student chat interactions notably increased. Prior to his emphasis on teaching, Theys conducted research on heterogeneous distributed computing systems, producing influential publications. Notable works include "A comparison of eleven static heuristics for mapping a class of independent tasks onto heterogeneous distributed computing systems" by Braun et al. (Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, 2001; 2417 citations), "A comparison study of static mapping heuristics for a class of meta-tasks on heterogeneous computing systems" by Braun et al. (Proceedings Eighth Heterogeneous Computing Workshop, 1999; 397 citations), "A taxonomy for describing matching and scheduling heuristics for mixed-machine heterogeneous computing systems" by Braun et al. (1998; 176 citations), "Characterizing resource allocation heuristics for heterogeneous computing systems" by Ali et al. (Advances in Computers, 2005; 79 citations), and "Computer engineering curriculum in the new millennium" by McGettrick et al. (IEEE Transactions on Education, 2003; 60 citations). These contributions have shaped heuristics for task mapping, scheduling, and resource allocation in parallel and distributed environments.