My answers to the questionnaire

My name is Jerod Weinman. For this course, I prefer to be called any of the following: Professor Weinman, Dr. Weinman, or (in egalitarian Grinnell College style) Mr. Weinman, whichever you prefer.
My hometown is Alliance, Nebraska, in the central Nebraska panhandle west of the sandhills. However, I also lived in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts (both during graduate school and my last sabbatical)
I studied Computer Science and Mathematics (a Bachelor of Science double major) at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, a similarly-sized school in Terre Haute, Indiana that focuses on teaching engineering, math, and science.

My PhD in Computer Science came from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I specialized in computer vision and machine learning. My dissertation research involved designing algorithms for a system to help the blind navigate by reading text from images (such as street signs and storefronts).
In addition to this course, I am teaching "Computer Networks" which covers principles and practices of computer communication. I'm also teaching "The Digital Age," where we discuss computing from the lowly bit all the way up to the abstract "cloud" and examine the social and ethical impacts of computing.
Unlike today, when I started with computers, it was still unusual to be first exposed to them as a one year-old, which I was when my dad brought home his first Apple ][. This is the same computer I first learned to program on in junior high. (My first was a quiz program about baseball trivia.) I was excited by the opportunity to practice creative thinking and problem solving that could be applied to whatever other interests were at hand. As an undergraduate, an introductory course on image processing led me to my research area where I am often faced with reverse engineering a different kind of "computer"--the human visual system.
As always, I look forward to getting to know my students and their approaches to learning about computation. I also can't wait to see your creative processes at work in your projects.
Even if you are not a Computer Science major or choose not to take any further CompSci classes, my biggest concern is that you will all see the utility of computational thinking and not be dismayed by the utter stupidity of computers. (You really do have to tell them exactly what to do!)
You can ask me about the landmark of my hometown in Nebraska, my decade as a college radio DJ, my stint as a frontman for a punk band in a previous life, or one of my culinary passions, such as barbecue.

What questions do you have for me that have not already been answered?

Was your punk group successful at all? Feel free to define success as you would like.: Sure! We self-released an album that sold all the copies we printed, played several shows both on campus and around town, and opened for other bands we'd heard of. All in all, it was a blast and I sometimes miss playing that kind of music with my friends.
Do you have a favorite author?: Although I've started to read way more fiction than when I first found him (typically a novel every 7-10 days), my favorite author is Paul Auster, hands down.
I would like to know more about your "system to help the blind navigate," it sounds really interesting!: I haven't done end-to-end system programming; what I've really studied is how to get computers to "read" as well as humans do. That is, given an image (just a bunch of pixels) that contain text, can the computer find and recognize it. The applications include the one you've mentioned, but surely others as well. I had the best performing system on a standard benchmark last year (but then Google published a paper on a system that blew everybody else out of the water).
Did you initially enter the computer science field as a personal hobby or while in school?: One option at a summer camp I went to in seventh grade was a short course in BASIC programming. From there I went on to write my own programs as a hobby before taking more CS in high school (I was very fortunate my public school had an adequate CS program; most don't).
Has it been strange to watch computers and technology develop so rapidly in your adult life?: Yes and no. When I think of the generation before me who really brought it to be, the changes they've seen are pretty astounding. Still, when I can tell "back in my day" stories that look pretty different form usage today, I am amazed at the thought.
What are your philosophical preferences in regards to using free and open software?: I believe in free software and I'm frequently annoyed by the limited rights associated with a "purchase" of the alternative, but I'm also a pragmatist who uses software to solve real problems. So I own a Mac and run research software that costs several thousand dollars a year to license (there is a free alternative, but I'm not yet satisfied with it).
And in regards to teaching with a commonly used programming language that might be useful vocationally (e.g. Java) or using Scheme (which I've heard is not necessarily "useful")?: It's a balance. Our introductory curriculum has advantages (teaching you cool ideas early), most particularly that it exposes you to different paradigms for solving problems. That said, we in the department acknowledge that for the object-oriented paradigm, Java really is essential from a practical standpoint.
Your dad bought an Apple when you were only 1 year old. Was him a computer scientist? Did you lean anything about computer science from your dad?: My father graduated from a liberal arts college and started work in social services before transitioning to working for, and eventually starting his own real estate brokerage. So no, he was not a computer scientist, just an enthusiast.
I would like to know about how did you know computer science was the right choice for you.: I tend to be very methodical and detail-oriented (though as I child I was surely not that self-aware). When I was first introduced to programming at age eleven, I loved it because it almost seemed like magic (or at least it was really fun to make computers do what you tell them) and I really never looked back. I continued to take more classes and continued to enjoy it. Perhaps it was a "I just knew," but I think it was also a "I'm going to keep doing this until I find something I like better." I guess I never did.
What brought you to Iowa? It seems everyone has a different reason for being here.: Well, the obvious answer is "Grinnell College." The less obvious answer is that I wanted to teach at a small liberal arts college, I'm from Nebraska with lots of family in driving distance (Omaha, KC, Minneapolis), and I love living in a small town.
I would like to know if there is one particular computer program or feature that has significantly captivated your attention.: Goedel's incompleteness theorem was to me a pretty astounding result, with implications, both positive and negative for mathematicians and (later) computer scientists.
What kind of music do you like to listen to? Also, do you listen to music while you work or do you find it distracting?: It depends on what I'm doing--I actually like to listen to programmed radio a lot (i.e., KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic), rather than being insulated by my own music collection. When I'm at the gym, doing housework or yardwork, or anything else when I need "pep", I still listen to punk rock. I love early music (Bach, Telemann, and the like). I do occasionally listen to music while I work on technical things, but only if it doesn't require deep concentration.
What you study or find interesting, relevant to the realm of computer science or not.: I'm fascinated by learning and intelligence, whether in animals or machines.
Maybe what sport teams do you like?: I sometimes remember to follow the Chicago Cubs (blame my grandfather) and, being from Nebraska, I follow Cornhusker football more regularly.
What do you like most about your job?: Learning from and interacting with students having more backgrounds and experiences that I could never hope to otherwise. I love not only seeing how you learn the course material, but more, hearing about how you are growing as people and discovering new things from you.
I'd like to know more about your hobbies outside your work in computer science, and also more about your research. You mentioned this morning that you were working with maps, which sounded interesting.: I like to garden, cook (especially with fire) and preserve foods. I also kayak and fish. The only guitar I play now is at my church, which at least keeps my fingers from getting too rusty. They're not a hobby, but I do like old maps and you can see more about this work on Thursday.