{"id":411,"date":"2017-02-23T09:08:06","date_gmt":"2017-02-23T17:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=411"},"modified":"2026-02-25T12:13:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:13:24","slug":"justin-wolford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/justin-wolford\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the scenes with Justin Wolford, computer science instructor"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h2>\n
\"Justin

A variety of educational and personal interests\u00a0fill Justin Wolford’s\u00a0days, so much so that he may casually mention at the end of a conversation that he has done work for NASA for nearly a decade.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Tyler Hansen<\/a><\/em>
\n<\/em><\/a>Feb. 23, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n

Justin Wolford took awhile to discover that teaching computer science was his desired profession. He earned his\u00a0bachelor’s degree in communications from Lewis & Clark College, then\u00a0enrolled at Oregon State to pursue a\u00a0Ph.D. in computer science. Then in 2009,\u00a0he landed an internship at NASA and soon\u00a0realized\u00a0that he liked teaching more than research, so he exited the CS program after earning his\u00a0master’s. <\/em><\/p>\n

Now he’s\u00a0an instructor in the online applied computer science postbaccalaureate program<\/a>,\u00a0offered by OSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and delivered online by Oregon State Ecampus. Justin\u00a0has maintained his\u00a0professional relationship with NASA over the years, doing contract work that allows NASA scientists to easily reference their notes in a database and\u00a0analyze environments with potentially hazardous oxygen levels.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Briefly describe your role as an Ecampus instructor.<\/h3>\n

\u201cI teach a variety of computer science classes. However, the emphasis is on web and cloud technologies. This means that most of the content I create is out of date within months of making it because of the rapid pace of technology changes in this area. So I spend a larger percentage of my time making new material compared to\u00a0other instructors who have topic areas that tend to be more stable.\u201d<\/p>\n

What interested you in teaching\u00a0computer science?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI always liked teaching. From middle school onward, I would volunteer as a tutor for subjects like math or AP physics. I also liked computers from an even younger age. I was comfortable using the command line interface of my dad\u2019s computer before I even got into first grade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your master’s studies focused on human-computer interaction. What\u2019s one of the most interesting things you\u2019ve learned about how people interact with technology?<\/h3>\n

\u201cWhen I did my research, the biggest thing I learned is that gesture-based technology is a bit awkward.\u00a0As cool as it looks to be grabbing and manipulating objects like in ‘Minority Report,’ it just isn’t that natural. I am excited to see what happens with VR (virtual reality) though. I have an Oculus Rift VR headset, and while it is certainly more of a novelty for now, I think there is a lot of potential there once people figure out the limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you like most about teaching computer science online?<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe flexibility. I have a wide variety of hobbies, not all of which work well in a typical 9-to-5 schedule. Teaching online lets me do work in the evening when I have other things I would like to do during the day or do some work on the weekend to free up time during the week to go to an event.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you see as the primary benefits of online learning?<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe flexibility for students. If they have a family or a job they can schedule around it and they don’t need to physically move to a location to be near a university.\u201d<\/p>\n

“<\/span>A lot of jobs are being replaced by computers and robots. I don’t think that is going to stop or even slow any time soon. … So getting the new generation ready for that upcoming employment environment is really important.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How do you build a genuine connection with students who, in many cases, you\u2019ll never meet in person?<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe have an event, the Computer Science Career Showcase<\/a>, twice a year where students can fly into Portland to meet instructors as well as employers. This is the main opportunity\u00a0to build connections with them. I get to meet them in person, get feedback on my classes and hear about their experience. But as the class sizes have grown larger, it has certainly\u00a0become harder for me to build those connections with students and I would say that now it is typically up to the students. If they want to build a relationship, they do so by engaging in discussion on the message boards where there can be interesting discussions that everyone benefits from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coding and computing is being taught at an increasingly younger grade level all around the world. Why is this global push so important?<\/h3>\n

\u201cA lot of jobs are being replaced by computers and robots. I don’t think that is going to stop or even slow any time soon. As that happens, the number of jobs for\u00a0programmers is going to continue to increase while the number of jobs that used to be stable jobs in areas like manufacturing \u2013 or in a few decades, driving \u2013 are going to go away. So getting the new generation ready for that upcoming employment environment is really important.\u201d<\/p>\n

How have you evolved as an educator since you began teaching classes online with Ecampus?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI have learned a lot in terms of figuring out what the most important parts of online education are and how they differ from my experiences I had as an on-campus student. When I first started, I was making these long, 30- or 45-minute PowerPoint lectures that simply were not very effective. Now I have moved to a blend of a lot of text content along with shorter videos for those more challenging topics.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best advice you can give to Ecampus students?<\/h3>\n

\u201cThat their learning is in their hands. The instructor\u00a0does not have the benefit of being able to see when students look like they are engaged\u00a0and understanding material or when they are totally lost. When you are confused, ask the question that addresses the root of the problem, not the symptom. Oftentimes there is a quick fix to a programming problem that is easy to find, but it misses the underlying, conceptual misunderstanding that led to the problem in the first place. It is really important to figure out when there is a concept that never made sense and get clarity on it sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are your favorite activities outside of work?<\/h3>\n

\u201cMy hobbies tend to vary from year to year, but currently golf and shooting trap are my biggest interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Computer scientists are often\u00a0are into gaming. What\u2019s the best video game you\u2019ve ever played?<\/h3>\n

\u201c \u2018Kerbal Space Program\u2019 I think is my all-time favorite. You get to build spaceships starting from tiny rockets that go up a few thousand meters to interplanetary ships that take rovers and science labs to other planets. I learned more about orbital dynamics playing that game than I ever did from my physics classes or my time working at NASA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait, what? You worked for NASA?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI applied to NASA\u2019s Undergraduate Student Research Program when I was a post-bacc student at OSU. I was accepted to the Oxygen Hazard Analysis Group, and I was the last in a line of interns to work on replacing an old Access database (may they be forever banished from this world) with a Microsoft SQL Server Database.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that they wanted me to stay on and work full time, but I wanted to finish my master\u2019s and was not too excited about living in the middle of the desert in Las Cruces, New Mexico. So they asked me to stay on as a contractor and do occasional work from home, which I still do. I am actually trying to get a quarter off to do some more serious work for them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 5<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Justin Wolford took awhile to discover that teaching computer science was his desired profession. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications, then enrolled at Oregon State to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science. After an internship at NASA, he soon realized that he liked teaching more than research, so he exited the CS program after earning his master’s. Now he’s an instructor in OSU’s highly popular, online post-baccalaureate computer science program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/justin-wolford-web.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-6D","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1615,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/value-college-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":411,"position":0},"title":"How earning a degree impacts career earnings and value","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"April 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Earning a bachelor\u2019s degree is a badge of honor. And it\u2019s a game-changer in the job market. By earning your bachelor\u2019s degree, you could earn as much as $1 million more than someone with a high school diploma over the course of a career.","rel":"","context":"In "Advancing Your Career"","block_context":{"text":"Advancing Your Career","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/learning-experience\/advancing-your-career\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bar chart showing the financial benefits of a college degree, based on April 2026 median yearly full-time earnings and educational attainment according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figures are $50,804 for high school diploma with no college; $59,176 for associate's degree or some college; $83,668 for bachelor's degree; and $103,064 for master's degree and higher.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/justin-ihara\/","url_meta":{"origin":411,"position":1},"title":"OSU Ecampus can make dreams come true in computer science","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"April 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"After earning a degree in mathematics in 2009 from Oregon State, Justin Ihara decided to go in a slightly different direction \u2014 computer science.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ustin Ihara, wearing a white suit and hair cap and face mask for safety, verifies that his electrostatic discharge bracelet is working correctly","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Ihara-3.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Ihara-3.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Justin-Ihara-3.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1442,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-computer-science-more-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":411,"position":2},"title":"Online computer science program now more online than ever","author":"Rachel Robertson","date":"June 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The setting for Oregon State's online computer science students may not have changed, but plenty is different this year for its students and faculty. Program director, Ben Brewster shares how he and many students have been affected by COVID-19.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ben Brewster smiles from a video stream on the photographer's laptop","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/brewster_cropped.jpg?fit=1200%2C564&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2503,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/5-reasons-to-earn-your-computer-science-degree-online-with-oregon-state\/","url_meta":{"origin":411,"position":3},"title":"5 reasons you should earn your computer science degree online with Oregon State","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"March 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tamarsh Abeysekera earned his B.S. in Computer Science through Oregon State's online postbaccalaureate program. Read about his experience to learn how Oregon State's online computer science programs can help advance your career.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two people talking over a laptop computer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P0121-AI-tools-800x450-231023.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2477,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/what-kind-of-online-computer-science-degree-should-you-pursue\/","url_meta":{"origin":411,"position":4},"title":"What kind of online computer science degree should you pursue?","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"February 16, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University offers multiple online bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science. Read our guide to better understand who each program is designed for, skills you'll gain and possible career outcomes.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A person sitting in front of two computer monitors with code displayed on them.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CS-degree-comparison-AdobeStock_472215511-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CS-degree-comparison-AdobeStock_472215511-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CS-degree-comparison-AdobeStock_472215511-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CS-degree-comparison-AdobeStock_472215511-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2148,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/shane-adams-computer-science-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":411,"position":5},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Driven to change lives through computer science online","author":"Shane Adams","date":"October 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I have loved my experience online with Oregon State. ... I have a bachelor\u2019s degree and MBA already, but I wanted to pursue a postbaccalaureate degree in computer science online in hopes of making a profound impact in health care technology.\" \u2014 Shane Adams, computer science student","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An up-close view of a monitor with computer code on it.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/computer-science-code.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}