Computer Science Department Co-Locates with Tech Powerhouses



On October 16, 2017, the College of Charleston’s new Computer Science Student Innovation Center opened its doors to students and corporate partners. The new space is on the second floor of the Harbor Walk East building and includes a rapid prototyping makerspace, a virtual reality room, a conference room, a large open collaboration space, and a co-location space for corporate partners. Students will have open access to a variety of technologies including a 3D Scanner, Resin 3D Printer, Filament 3D Printer, Stäubli Robotic Arm, Raspberry Pis, Arduinos, Robotics Builder Kits, Drones and HTC VIVE VR Headsets.

Part of this new space includes an open, shared room in which tech powerhouses in the region will co-locate with the computer science department’s faculty and students. The co-location space has been named The COMPASS, which is an acronym for COMputing Professionals And Student Scholars.

“The COMPASS offers a level of collaboration which will drive value for both students and local businesses. Through on-going co-location of businesses at the College of Charleston we will see partnerships expand and new ideas emerge.” said Rob Papandrea, IT Senior Manager at Boeing. Along with Boeing, the College of Charleston is partnering with Bosch, Booz Allen Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz Vans, and Benefitfocus on this initiative.

“We now have over 500 undergraduate students enrolled in our department, growing over 250% in the last seven years which is five times faster than our peers nationally. It is incumbent on us to support the thriving tech community in Charleston and The COMPASS further enhances our already strong relations with regional partners.” said Sebastian van Delden, department chair and professor of computer science.

“Being a desired employer and responsible neighbor as well as users, producers, and promoters of innovative technology are all part of our Bosch Charleston Vision. Participation in The COMPASS corresponds well with all three of these targets, and we look forward to further collaboration and expansion of our relationship with the College of Charleston Computer Science Department.” said Meg Lanza, Director of Bosch Production Systems.

“Building on the ingenuity of our partners, Booz Allen takes pride in being part of a community where we can contribute to the growth and development of the local tech ecosystem,” said Bob Williams, Chief Technologist, Booz Allen Hamilton.  “In Charleston, we use our passion for innovation to connect with academia in ways that allows us to cultivate next generation tech talent while also exploring and leveraging disruptive technologies for helping our clients execute against their missions.It’s through these partnerships where we’re able to create real opportunities for our future.”

A launch party will be held in the new space on Thursday, November 16 from 4pm-7pm. All faculty, staff, alumni, and IT professionals are welcomed to attend, but RSVP is needed: http://bit.ly/2hO3JzH.

For more information, contact Sebastian van Delden, vandeldensa@cofc.edu.