Charles Wallace

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool."
—Richard Feynman

Contact

wallace@mtu.edu
906-487-3431
Rekhi Hall 205

Professor, Computer Science
Affiliated Professor, Psychology and Human Factors

PhD, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Michigan, 1999
MA, Linguistics, University of California, 1992
BA, Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1989

Biography

Wallace studied linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California before earning his Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Michigan. His experiences as a computer scientist, linguist, and software developer drive his research exploring how humans can better understand, build, and use software. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Google, Microsoft Research, and the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2010, he was awarded a Fulbright to visit Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, and he served as a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador.

Wallace has been intimately involved with undergraduate instruction and curriculum development since his arrival at Michigan Tech in 2000. He received both the University Distinguished Teaching Award and the Michigan Association of State Universities Distinguished Professor Award in 2024. He cofounded the Software Engineering degree program in 2003 and served as Associate Dean for Curriculum & Instruction in the College of Computing from 2019 to 2024. In conjunction with his research projects, he founded local outreach efforts in computer education for middle and high school students and digital literacy for senior citizens. Wallace was presented with the University Distinguished Service Award in 2014 for these efforts, and he has been invited to the White House and Congress to speak about his work with seniors.

Links of Interest

Faculty Webpage

Areas of Expertise

software usability & accessibility
gerontechnology
smart & connected communities
communication in software development
agile development methods
applied formal methods
computing ethics
sustainable computing
computer science & software engineering education

Recent Publications

A. Morrison and C. Wallace (2022). Making it strange: Disrupting assumptions about technology and ethics in engineering and computing education. IEEE Technology and Society 41(3): 81–90.
B. Bettin, M. Jarvie-Eggart, K.S. Steelman, and C. Wallace (2022). Preparing first year engineering students to think about code: A guided approach. IEEE Transactions on Education 65(3): 309–319.
D. Pontious, K. Thelen, B. Bettin, K.S. Steelman, L.C. Ureel, and C. Wallace (2022). Illuminated Devices: A sociotechnical system to broaden access to digital assistance. (poster) International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, Hiroshima, Japan.
B. Bettin, K.S. Steelman, C. Wallace, D. Pontious, and E. Veinott (2022). Identifying and addressing risks in the early design of a sociotechnical system through premortem. Human Factors & Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting.
A. Morrison and C. Wallace (2021). Iteration and inquiry: Toward a meaningful model of ethical engagement for engineering and computing students. IEEE Ethics Conference, Waterloo ON, Canada.
B. Bettin, M. Jarvie-Eggart, K.S. Steelman, and C. Wallace (2021). Developing a comic-creation assignment and rubric for teaching and assessing algorithmic concepts. IEEE Frontiers in Education, Lincoln NE.
K.S. Steelman and C. Wallace (2021). Breaking barriers, building understanding: A multigenerational approach to digital literacy instruction for older adults. ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society 49(1): 23–24.
B.C. Bettin, M. Jarvie-Eggart, K. Steelman, and C. Wallace (2020). Infusing Computing Identity Into Introductory Engineering Instruction. IEEE Frontiers in Education, Virtual Conference.
K. Steelman, M. Jarvie-Eggart, K.L. Tislar, N. Manser, B.C. Bettin, L.C. Ureel, and C. Wallace (2020). Work in Progress: The perception of computer programming within engineering education: An investigation of student attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. American Society of Engineering Education, Virtual Conference.
L.C. Ureel and C. Wallace (2019). Automated critique of early programming antipatterns. ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, Minneapolis MN.
I. Pollock, B. Alshaigy, A. Bradley, B.R. Krogstie, V. Kumar, L. Ott, A.-K. Peters, C. Ridesel, and C. Wallace (2019). 1.5 Degrees of Separation: Computer Science Education in the Age of the Anthropocene. ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Educa- tion (ITiCSE), Aberdeen, UK. ITiCSE-WGR ’19: Proceedings of the Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, 1–25.
S. Kumar and C. Wallace. (2019). The case for kairos: The importance of moment and manner in software engineering communication. Conference on Software Engineering Education & Training, Maui HI.
L.E. Brown, A. Feltz, and C. Wallace (2018). Lab Exercises for a Discrete Structures Course: Exploring Logic and Relational Algebra with Alloy. ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, Lanarca, Cyprus.
S. Frezza, M. Daniels, A. Pears, A. Cajander, K. Viggo, K. Amanpreet, R. McDermott, A.-K. Peters, M. Sabin, and C. Wallace (2018). Modelling Competencies for Computing Education beyond 2020: A Research Based Approach to Defining Competencies in the Computing Disciplines. ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE), Lanarca, Cyprus.
C. Wallace (2018). Learning Discrete Structures Interactively with Alloy. (workshop) ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, Baltimore MD.

Recent Funding

(CoPI) EAGER: SAI: Illuminated Devices: A Sociotechnical Approach to Empowering Digital Citizens and Strengthening Digital Infrastructure. Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI), National Science Foundation (BCS-2122034), 2021–2023, $299,617.
(PI) Redesign and Implementation of USDS-Proxy Language. U.S. Department of Defense / Applied Research in Acoustics LLC, 2020–2023, $586,608.
(CoPI) RAPID: COVID-19, Consumption, and Multi-dimensional Analysis of Risk (C-CAR). National Science Foundation Special Initiatives (CBET-2031677), 2020–2021, $190,764.
(Senior Personnel) INFEWS/T3: Climate Change Mitigation via Reducing Household Food, Energy and Water Consumption: A Quantitative Analysis of Interventions and Impacts of Conserva- tion. Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS), National Science Foundation (CBET-1639342), 2016–2021, $2,983,358.