Each week we're featuring a Q&A with a member of our faculty in the School of Computing. Get to know some of our professors! This week we're featuring Research Assistant Professor Derek Weitzel.
What are your research areas or areas of specialty/interest?
My research interests broadly fit into the cyberinfrastructure development and deployment. My team and I create, deploy, and operate cyberinfrastructure both for Nebraska researchers, as well as global cyberinfrastructure projects who have users throughout the world.
How did you first become interested in computing or your specific area of computing?
I was always tinkering with things as a child. My father is a mechanic, and we were constantly working on engines and taking them apart together. This helped foster my curiosity for how things worked. I was attracted to computers in school and took a few courses offered in my high school which led me to writing my first computer game (trap shooting game). From there, I went to UNL majoring in computer engineering and got an undergraduate job at what was then the Research Computing Facility (now HCC). At RCF, I was able to explore and build upon my passions of how putting together cyberinfrastructure can be not only interesting, but it can be extremely rewarding to build infrastructure that can enable researchers to excel in their research.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of computing? What do you enjoy most about those?
I am an avid reader. I enjoy many different genres including science fiction, history and non-fiction. Books help me take a break from screens and enjoy some personal quiet time and reflection. I also enjoy working on different home improvement projects around my home.
What is your favorite weekend activity?
I have two-year-old twins, so many weekends are filled with helping them explore the world around them. One of my favorite weekend activities is visiting the Omaha zoo and watching my children looking at all the animals. They get very excited to see the elephants and giraffes.
Where is your favorite place you've traveled?
I really enjoyed my trip to Amsterdam a few years ago. My favorite activity while traveling is wandering around the city on foot, and Amsterdam is an excellent walking city.
What is your favorite food?
My favorite food tends to change, but I’m currently loving Thai food.
What is a fun fact or something other members of the school may not know about you?
As mentioned above, I am the father of two-year-old boy/girl twins. I have embraced the chaos of twins and am enjoying every minute of it.
What is your favorite thing about being a part of the School of Computing?
As this might be a cliche answer, but true: It’s certainly the people that I have worked with, but in addition to the School of Computing, it’s the people at the Holland Computing Center that make everything I do possible. HCC’s personnel always go above and beyond for any project I am working on that leaves lasting positive impressions with everyone we work with throughout the world. Any meeting I go to, I always hear about good things happening in Nebraska.