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In the Department of Computer Science, our international experts are recognized for their contributions in crucial research fields. Whether researching distributed systems, networking, visualization, artificial intelligence, data mining, bioinformatics, software engineering or any other area, we engage students in compelling projects that affect how we live. In addition having faculty members who work within the UK Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments and the Laboratory for Advanced Networking, we maintain a rich partnership with the University of Kentucky Biomedical Informatics Institute.

Computer Science at the University of Kentucky

102 Graduate students

Highest in the college

$93K Average starting salary

NACE Summer 2023

10 NSF Career Awardees

in department history

574 Undergraduates

New Artificial Intelligence Certificate

Starting Spring 2025, undergraduate students across the University have the opportunity to enroll in the new AI certificate program. The 12-credit certificate offers mostly hands-on, in-person coursework and is open to students from all UK colleges.

The certificate program aims to arm students with the AI literacy necessary in today’s world. Despite popular belief, AI systems do not operate independently and require human participation to reach decisions.

Apply today!

Robotic UK Wildcat mascot sitting at a desk in a classroom. 'UK Wildcat in the classroom' image generated by OpenArt.ai. — "UK Wildcat in the classroom" image generated by OpenArt.ai.

OpenArt.ai

Molly Leppelmeier - Major in Computer Science

The resources and staff available to me has been so helpful. It really allowed me to accomplish everything in both the athletic world and the academic world.

CS Department News

Group photo of the new Pigman College of Engineering faculty in 2025

Pigman College of Engineering welcomes 7 new faculty members

Aug 26, 2025

This month, the University of Kentucky Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering welcomed seven new members to its faculty. Brooks Lane, assistant professor in the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering Lane earned his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 2019 and most recently served as a postdoctoral fellow at Drexel University. His research interests are:

UK Engineering receives record number of NSF CAREER awards

Aug 20, 2025

Six Pigman College of Engineering faculty members received National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) awards, the Foundation's prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty, in the 2025 funding cycle. This year, the Pigman College of Engineering recorded its highest number of NSF CAREER awardees in the 30-year history of the program. In addition, the college boasted a 75% success rate for CAREER awards in the 2025 funding cycle.

Seales to present in NSF CISE Distinguished Lecture Series September 11, 11:00AM-12:30PM

Aug 20, 2025

Dr. W. Brent Seales, Stanley and Karen Pigman Chair of Heritage Science and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky will be presenting "On Perseverance: Virtually Unwrapping the Herculaneum Scrolls" in the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Directorate (CISE) Distinguished Lecture Series.

Herculaneum scroll with red laser lines being scanned at Institut de France by Brent Seales and his team.

UK’s Brent Seales, global team secures Europe’s top research grant to digitally decode Herculaneum scrolls

Lindsey Piercy

Jul 28, 2025

Brent Seales, heritage science chair in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky, has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant as part of an international team seeking to unlock the secrets of the Herculaneum scrolls.

Gloved hand in lab with tray of chemicals

20 Pigman College of Engineering researchers among top 2% of world’s most-cited

Jul 3, 2025

The University of Kentucky is well-represented on a list of the most-cited researchers in the world. In a database compiled by Stanford University in a partnership with Elsevier, 136 current UK scientists and scholars appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across 22 disciplines. Of those 136 scientists and scholars, 20 are UK Pigman College of Engineering faculty.

Judy Goldsmith National Center for Women & Information Technology award graphic

Goldsmith honored by National Center for Women & Information Technology

May 12, 2025

Judy Goldsmith, professor and associate chair in the Department of Computer Science, was named the 2025 Harrold and Notkin Research and Graduate Mentoring Award recipient by the National Center for Women & Information Technology.

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Department Recognitions

Brian Stewart

Hall of Distinction - Inducted in 2025

B.S. in computer engineering, 1996 Brian Stewart has cultivated a distinguished 26-year career in global payroll and human resources (HR) solutions. Stewart earned his Bachelor of Science in computer engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1996. Following graduation, he founded a business in Lexington, utilizing a database he developed to facilitate the electronic transfer of insurance claims from medical offices to insurance companies.

Spotlight

Xu Tao, Ph.D

Tao to be Assistant Professor for Kennesaw State University - April 11, 2025

Xu Tao is a Ph.D. candidate in Department of Computer Science, under the supervision of Simone Silvestri, Ph.D. She previously worked as a researcher at the LINKS Foundation in Italy from 2018 to 2021, and holds a Master of Science in computer engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, earned in 2018. Her research interest lies in harnessing the potential of Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical System and LPWAN Network to revolutionize smart agriculture.

Anna Workman, posing by leaning with one elbow on a green chair.

Anna C. Workman, BSCS 2004

Hall of Distinction - Inducted in 2024

Anna Workman has been a driving force in UPS's technological evolution, exhibiting leadership and innovation across various business domains within UPS Technology Group since the early 2000’s.

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Opening Positions

Assistant Professor in Computer Science/ Engineering

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky invites applications for a tenure-eligible, 9-month appointment (Regular Title Series) faculty position to begin August 2025.

Apply on UKJobs

Lecturer in Computer Science/ Engineering

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky invites applications for the position of Lecturer. This position is a non-tenure track faculty position on a renewable one-year contract; appointments are nine-month, renewable with a start date of August 1, 2025.

Apply on UKJobs

Lecturer in Computer Science/ Engineering

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky invites applications for the position of Lecturer. This position is a non-tenure track faculty position on a renewable one-year contract; appointments are nine-month, renewable with a start date of January 1, 2025.

Apply on UKJobs