Rate My Professor Michael Oudshoorn

Michael Oudshoorn serves as the Founding Dean of the Webb School of Engineering and Chair of Computer Science at High Point University. He earned a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, a B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science, all from the University of Adelaide, Australia. With over 30 years of experience as an educator, his career began at the University of Adelaide, where he taught computer science for 20 years and later served as Associate Dean (International) for the Faculty of Engineering, Mathematical and Computer Sciences, overseeing international student recruitment and off-shore programs in Singapore and Malaysia. Relocating to the United States in 2003, he held senior leadership roles including dean and department chair positions at various institutions, most recently leading the development of a cybersecurity degree at a Midwestern university. Since joining High Point University in 2018, he has designed and launched the School of Engineering, introducing Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering programs, while expanding the Computer Science department with a focus on cybersecurity.

Oudshoorn maintains significant involvement in accreditation and curriculum development. Since 2004, he has volunteered as an ABET program evaluator, contributing to accreditation criteria for computer science programs. He is currently in his second six-year term as an ABET commissioner and was elected to the ABET Executive Committee in 2018. Additionally, he serves on the steering committee of the Computer Science Curricula CS2023 Task Force. His research interests encompass Computer Science Education, Software Engineering, Programming Languages, and Parallel and Distributed Computing, reflected in his scholarly output with over 1,300 citations. Notable publications include "Computer science curricula 2023" (2024), "Professional competencies in computing education: Pedagogies and assessment" (2021), "Challenges and recommendations for the design and conduct of global software engineering courses: A systematic review" (2015), and "Preparing tomorrow's software engineers for work in a global environment" (2017). His contributions have shaped computing education standards and global software engineering practices.