Computer Science Professor John Dooley Retires

With cake and kind words, members of the Knox College community celebrated William and Marilyn Ingersoll Professor of Computer Science John Dooley, who is retiring after a 16-year career at Knox.

At his May 18 retirement reception, Dooley was praised as a knowledgeable and inspiring teacher, mentor, and colleague.

"He's really had a lot of impact on a lot of people—students and faculty," said David Bunde, associate professor and chair of computer science. "We'll definitely miss him."

Dooley spent almost 20 years working in the computer industry before he joined the Knox faculty in 2001. His teaching interests include software development and computer security, and he is one of the Knox faculty members for StartUp Term, an immersive experience where students create and run their own businesses.

Some of Dooley's former students sent their congratulations and remembrances in writing.

"I always enjoyed his stories from working in the corporate world, and he helped me grow my interest in project management," wrote Andrea Tait Block '04. "I believe because of the education I received and his experience which he shared with us, I have been able to reach my career goals more quickly."

Now a project manager, Block said she often thinks back to Dooley's Software Engineering class, "where he had us run a project just like we would in the corporate world."

"Thank you, Professor, for the positive influence and sharing your interests and knowledge," she concluded.

Sam Hart '15 described Dooley as someone who's "really been an inspiration to me."

"John cares about the professional practice of developing software and passing that onto a generation of young developers," Hart added. "By participating in new programs like StartUp Term, he has really brought something new to the school that is giving Knox students a leading edge on looking at problems in terms of the big picture, not just the day-to-day engineering challenges."

Dooley's teaching earned him the 2016 Philip Green Wright/Lombard College Prize for distinguished teaching by a tenured member of the Knox faculty.

In addition, he has written dozens of publications, book chapters, book reviews, and presentations. He is author of four books: Codes and Villains and Mystery: The Best Short Stories with Codes and Ciphers 1843-1920; Codes, Ciphers & Spies: Tales of Military Intelligence during World War I; A Brief History of Cryptology and Cryptographic Algorithms; and Software Development and Professional Practice.

"It's been a terrific 16 years," Dooley said. "I could not have thought of a better place to teach."

(Photo at top of page: Professor John Dooley chats with guests at his reception, including President Teresa Amott, at left. Photos below: Dooley delivers remarks at his retirement reception. Dooley with fellow computer science faculty members Jaime Spacco and David Bunde. The cake at Dooley's reception.)