Anne Denton’s passion for computing drives her to create a rich experience for students in the computer science department. Denton teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in database systems and computational technologies for environmental sustainability.

“One of my main goals is to make sure that students understand the “real world” side of the topics I teach,” Denton said. “Database textbooks sometimes perpetuate ideas that have long been rejected by companies. I make an effort to get first-hand information from practitioners, including employees of our own IT division as well as database administrators and technologists in the region and beyond.”

Many of the practitioners that Denton has consulted have been her past NDSU students. This has allowed her to witness the success of her students, while also giving her a chance to learn from their industry experience.

“In the technology sector, it does not take long for students to overtake their teachers in their understanding of cutting-edge technologies,” Denton said. “I believe that the best problem solving, education, and research happen at the interface of what can be theoretically argued for and what works in actual practice.” 

Denton earned a master’s in computer science from NDSU and holds a doctorate degree in physics. She joined the NDSU faculty in 2003.