Nilufer Onder

Nilufer Onder is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Michigan Technological University, where she also serves as Associate Chair and Undergraduate Program Director. She is actively involved in research, teaching, and academic leadership.

Education:

• PhD in Computer Science, University of Pittsburgh, 1999
• MS in Computer Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 1988
• BSc in Computer Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 1985

Her research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, particularly planning under uncertainty, probabilistic planning, and temporal/concurrent planning, and Computer Science Education, with an emphasis on student persistence in STEM, peer mentoring, and broadening participation in computing. She also explores applications in construction management and intelligent assistance systems. Her recent publications span AI planning, memory systems optimization, and educational technology, reflecting a strong interdisciplinary trajectory integrating systems, AI, and pedagogy.

Scientific Awards:

• No specific awards listed in the provided text.

She has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students in research and thesis work, and has secured funding from the NSF and other agencies for projects related to computing education and faculty-student interaction. She is actively involved in service, including advising student groups such as Women in Computing Sciences (WiCS) and Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), and participating in university committees and outreach programs like the Science Olympiad.

Labs and Teams: She leads the Interactions Unlimited project, a Faculty-Student Interaction (FSI) initiative funded by the NSF through the Engage Engineering program, aimed at enhancing student engagement and retention through structured faculty-student connections.