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Computer sciences professor retires after 35 years

From entire rooms to laptop computers, computer sciences have changed course curriculums exponentially since James “Jim” Miller came to Bradley in 1978.

The computer sciences and information systems professor said he saw everything change with computers in his time at Bradley.

“I’ve been through it all,” Miller said. “I started in the 1960s on mainframes with punch cards.”

When Miller first arrived at Bradley, he said the department had four members and two converted computer rooms where the sociology department is now located in Bradley Hall. Since then, the department has grown to 10 members.

After completing an undergraduate program at University of Delaware, graduate work at Penn State University and post doctoral work at Ohio State University, Miller worked a few other teaching positions before he settled in at Bradley for 35 years.

He taught systems programming, theory of programming language and other upper-division computer courses.

On the topic of his favorite memory, Miller said he couldn’t really claim one event or idea.

“I don’t know if there is a favorite thing,” Miller said. “I like the students I worked with, and the colleagues I worked with. Although, I hired most of them, so I may be biased.”

To all the students that he’s leaving behind, Miller said they should “live to work” instead of “work to live” to “bring a little balance to their lives.”

“Work hard, be diligent, don’t take any wooden nickels unless you’re an antique dealer,” he said. “Enjoy life [and] find something that interests you [like a hobby].”

Miller said he found his hobby of woodworking before high school. He said he continued to build furniture and other things while working at Bradley but hopes to focus on it more now that he’s retiring.

“I started really building things in high school,” he said. “[Now that I’m retiring,] I’m going to [do some] woodworking, travel and spend time with my grandchildren.”

Since his wife retired two years ago, Miller said he felt that it was “time to bring in young, fresh talent.”

“Eventually, you reach a point when you just kind of know it’s time,” he said. “And I’ve reached that point.”

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