Professor of Computer Science
434.544.8157
briggs.w@lynchburg.edu
Hobbs-Sigler Hall 104
Dr. Briggs’s web pages for students
Experience
- 2011-present, Professor, University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, VA
- 2005-2011, Associate professor, University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, VA
- 1998-2005, Assistant professor, University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, VA
- 1996-1998, Visiting professor, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
- 1992-1993, Undergraduate instructor, Fort Valley State College, Fort Valley, GA
- 1989-1992, Undergraduate instructor, Mercer University, Macon, GA
Education
- PhD in Computer Science – University of Texas at Arlington, December 1996
- MS in Computer Science – Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, June 1989
- BS in Mathematics and Physics – Mercer University, Macon, GA, June 1984
Professional Interests
- Machine planning and learning
- Game development
- Web development
- Congressional districting
Current work includes learning rules for reactive planning and maintaining the SSDL graphics and games wrapper library for C++20 for Lazy Programmers, an introductory text.
Selected Presentations and Workshops
- YouTube channel: “Programming the Lazy Way.” February 18, 2020 to March 31, 2021.
- Senior Symposium lecture: “The Future Is History, or, Dude, Where’s My Hovercar?” February 10, 2020.
- Presentation: インターネットで日本語を勉強 (Studying Japanese on the Internet), University of Lynchburg, April 2018.
- Lynchburg College (LC) Teaching Idea Exchange: “How to get students to read the textbook,” January 2012.
- Four-week class for the Virginia Governor’s School in Science and Technology: “Games Programming.” Summer 2003, 2008, and 2010.
- Short course at Holy Cross Catholic School: “Programming in Logo,” Oct. 2009.
- Exploration for the 2003, and 2008, Virginia Governor’s School: “How to Build an Alien!”
- Lecture for the LC Science Gang in November 1999: “Why Can’t Robots Just Get Along? Social Conventions for Rational Agents.”
Recent Teaching Areas
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Graphics
- Computer Languages
- Critical Thinking
- Discrete Mathematics
- Games Programming
- Introduction to Computing
- Programming I and II (in C++)
- Programming in Python
- Senior Project
- Web Programming
Recent Publications
- C++20 for Lazy Programmers: Quick, Easy, and Fun C++ for Beginners, APress, 2021; and its earlier version, C++ for Lazy Programmers, in 2019.
- “Using a Training-Wheels Games and Graphics Library from Day One with Beginning C++.” SIGCSE ’21: Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, p. 1263, March 2021.
Student Publications