Geoffrey D. Decker                                
Instructor                                  

Northern Illinois University

Department of Computer Science

General Announcements:

    Be sure to check Blackboard Academic Suite at webcourses.niu.edu for your class and section!

Spring 2013 Teaching Schedule:

    CSCI 210-1 - Elementary Programming:  10:00-10:50 AM on MWF in Psychology-Computer Science (PM) 251.
    CSCI 210-2 - Elementary Programming:  11:00-11:50 AM on MWF in PM 251.
    CSCI 465-1 - Enterprise Application Environments:  2:00-3:15 PM on MW in PM 251.
    CSCI 565-1 - Enterprise Application Environments:  2:00-3:15 PM on MW in PM 251.

Spring 2013 Office Hours:

    9:00-9:50 AM on MWF
    1:00-1:50 PM on MW
     also by appointment

Contact Information:

       Address:

                Geoffrey D. Decker
             Northern Illinois University
             Department of Computer Science - PM 463
             DeKalb, IL  60115-2854 

       Office Information:

             Office:  PM 463
             e-mail:  decker@cs.niu.edu
             Office Phone:  815.753.6939      
             Department Phone:  815.753.0378
             Department Fax:  815.753.0342

Education:

   Huskie    M.S. in Computer Science          Northern Illinois University   DeKalb, Illinois         1990

   Jayhawk    B.A. in Music (Music History)   University of Kansas             Lawrence, Kansas    1986

Biography:

I was born in 1962 in the Missouri River bluff town of Atchison, Kansas (Amelia Earhart, the famous aviatrix, was born there too!), to a family with three older sisters.  I grew up in the Kansas City area on the Kansas side in the suburbs of Mission, Prairie Village, and Overland Park.  My father, Kenneth D. Decker (1916-1994), was a barber by trade and my mother, Beverly Mildred Dege Decker (1925-2002), when she worked outside the home, did graphic design and art for a large yearbook publishing company named Intercollegiate Press.

I graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School in the Shawnee Mission School District in Overland Park, Kansas, in 1980.  I attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas.  I nearly completed the B.S. in Human Biology degree with an emphasis in Biochemistry but decided music was much more interesting to me.  I switched to the B.A. in Music degree program with an emphasis in the history of music.  Throughout my time at KU, I played horn in the university's marching band, symphonic band, and orchestra, and also as a member of the local musicians' union in the semi-professional Lawrence Chamber Players, Topeka Symphony Orchestra, and Lawrence Symphony Orchestra.  I also studied horn privately with Professor M. David Bushouse.  

After graduating KU in May of 1986, I worked various jobs in Kansas City, Missouri, for two years.  I eventually moved to DeKalb, Illinois, and began the M.S. in Computer Science degree program at Northern Illinois University in June 1988.

After graduating NIU in August 1990, I worked as a programmer at Kemper Service Company, the transfer agency for Kemper Mutual Funds, in Kansas City, Missouri.  My employment was eventually transferred to DST Systems, Inc., also in Kansas City.  At Kemper and DST, I worked as a programmer in COBOL, Assembler, C and C++, and spent two years as a technical recruiter in DST's Employment Department.  My last two years at DST were spent as a systems programmer primarily supporting the company's postal verification software licensed from Pitney Bowes.  At DST, I also founded and conducted the DST Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble made up of employees and their families and friends.  In July 2000, I was invited to conduct the DST Wind Ensemble and members of the Kansas City Symphony in an outdoor concert inaugurating Kansas City's Avenue of the Arts.

After 11 years as a programming professional, I began my career as an instructor at Northern Illinois University in August 2001.  I taught courses in COBOL, Systems Analysis and Design, Music Appreciation, and the humanities at National American University in Kansas City, Missouri, but always wanted to teach full time.  Northern Illinois University provides me that opportunity, and I am very happy to be here working with talented students and a distinguished faculty.  In 2005 I was awarded the Department of Computer Science Excellence in Teaching Award.  I very much appreciate this honor and thank our former chair, Dr. Rodney Angotti, the Department of Computer Science, its Student Advisory Board, and those students that nominated me.

I currently study horn at the graduate level with NIU's Professor of Horn, John Fairfield, and play in the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra here in DeKalb.

I make it back to Kansas City as often as possible to spend time with my sisters and their families.  My oldest sister, Cheryl, was an artist at Hallmark Cards, Inc., in Kansas City for more than 15 years and now owns her own graphic design firm and teaches fiber arts, my second sister, Sandy, who passed away in fall 2010, was a registered nurse, and my youngest sister, Tami, is an artist and graphic designer with H. & R. Block in Kansas City.  I also have one niece, four nephews, a step-nephew, three great nephews, and three great nieces.  My partner, Chuck, is a grade school teacher in the area and he and I live near the university community.  We recently lost our beloved 11 3/4-year-old Westie, Gretel, and hope to get a new puppy within the next year.


Concerts in which I'm involved during the 2013-2014 concert season:
 
     Visit http://www.kishorchestra.org/ for more information about the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
       

Interests:

Interesting Links:

This page last updated 07/09/2012 at 10:13 AM.