Meet Dr. Matthew Spradling, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Name: Matthew Spradling
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: CSEP – Computer Science & Information Systems
Classes I teach:
CSC 381 – Introduction to Theory of Computation
CSC 575 – Algorithm and Complexity Analysis
At the University of Kentucky: Introduction to Computer Science
Other interests include: Game theory, social networks, and computer science ethics.
Professional Interests, Activities, or Publications:
Spradling, M., Goldsmith, J., Stability in Role Based Hedonic Games, 28th International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference, 2015.
Spradling, M., Roles and Teams Hedonic Games, 19th AAAI Doctoral Consortium, 2014.
Spradling, M., Goldsmith, J., Liu, X., Dadi, C., & Li, Z. Roles and Teams Hedonic Game, 3rd International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory, 2013.
Also presented without proceedings at 7th Multidisciplinary Workshop on Advances in Preference Handling at IJCAI’13, 2013.
Research or Specific Areas of Interest:
Coalition formation
Cooperative game theory
Theoretical computer science
Preference representation, elicitation and reasoning
Awards:
Verizon fellowship, University of Kentucky Department of Computer Science, 2015
Nominated, University of Kentucky ACM Teaching Assistant Award, 2014
Duncan E. Clarke Memorial Innovation Award, University of Kentucky Department of Computer Science, 2013
Degree(s)/Education:
Ph.D. Computer Science, University of Kentucky, 2015
Graduate Certificate in College Teaching and Learning, University of Kentucky, 2014
B.S. Computer Science, University of Kentucky, 2010
B.S. Business Administration: Marketing, Philosophy Minor, University of Louisville, 2005
Memberships:
Member, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
How I fell in love with my field:
It is my experience that any sort of “love” tends to be there all the while, only announcing itself in an unexpected moment. My first computer was a Commodore 64 when I was 4; as a result computers have, in my memory, always been accessible. I like being able to make something useful with only time and effort. Things started getting serious when I was introduced to theory of computation; this made me pursue a graduate career. Finding a problem out in the wild, modeling it formally, and publishing the results let me know I was probably “in love.” But all of that pales in comparison to the moment when a student in a class I am teaching “gets it.” That moment is what drives me.
What I hope for my time at UM-Flint:
I hope to give direction and support to students who need it, to discover new research interests though students and colleagues, and to have a lot of fun. I hope to introduce some new courses to the list of “courses I love to teach.” I hope to meet at least a few students who are interested in theory of computation. If at least a few of my students end up pursuing teaching careers, I would be extremely pleased.
What I hope for students in my field:
I hope for our students to maintain and grow their curiosity and thoughtfulness. I hope for them to be actors in their environment; to have confidence and endeavor toward a better world. For each student, I hope that “the world” will only grow more accessible as it grows larger.
Three things you should know about me:
I have been an exchange student to Japan, but I need to study the language.
I am interested in games of all shapes and sizes, be they serious, non-serious, or unintentionally serious.
I enjoy singing, poetry, and a good coffee shop.
For more information on Dr. Spradling’s department, visit umflint.edu/computer-science
