Ken Geddes

Professor

“Programming requires a knack, a talent. But it also requires time. It’s like writing a novel: The only way you get better is by doing it.”

Rock ’n’ roll? Computers? Hughes Aircraft? What could possibly be the convergence of all these wildly disparate elements? Well, meet Ken Geddes, your ‘usher’ into front row seats in the great theater of Computer Science. “I started at SMC right after the big quake, took a year off to complete my Master’s, and then came back to SMC to teach Computer Science,” says Ken. “All my experience has either been as a programmer or systems analyst.” Ken also plays a mean rock ’n’ roll bass. But these days, he’s all about SMC—a place he’s actually returning to.

“I went to SMC in 1991 to update my computer skills because, in the ever-changing computer world, you’ve gotta do that. I liked the College as well as my teacher, Dan Hurley, instantly. So Dan kept me in mind, and when that part-time position opened, I quickly filled it.”

Now teaching full time, Ken describes SMC as “a nearly perfect place to teach. And since I teach a lot of night classes, I tend to have a lot of people who are mature and extremely motivated. SMC does a fantastic job of reaching out to working people.” Ken says that his industry contacts make frequent requests to him for talented interns and potential employees. “And that feels good to me, because a student can go right to work from an SMC classroom.” He adds, “I’m concentrating mostly on Internet programming now because that’s where the action is. With everything becoming web-centric, I think people with those skills will be the most sought after.” Rock on, Ken!

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