When David Voorhees was first hired in the fall of 1999 as part of the mathematics department at Le Moyne College, he was also asked to be the only full-time computer science instructor on the campus.
Now?
Almost 25 years later, computer science is not only its own department but also covers fields such as cyber security and software, applications and systems development. Most important, it is preparing students for jobs in a field that is as important and influential as any discipline in the nation.
Yet, after serving the Le Moyne community for more than two decades, Voorhees – now chair of the computer science department – recently decided to retire from the department he created. But this is no typical retirement. Voorhees has impacted the lives of many students that have sat in his classes and still revere him.
“He envelopes the Jesuit ideal of ‘cura pursonalis,’or education of the whole person,” said George Lebrun, a rising senior and computer science major who studied under Voorhees for three years.
Declan Rapp, a Le Moyne alumnus who works in the computer industry, credits Voorhees with life-changing importance. “He’s an absolutely phenomenal professor and a great resource for any questions you might have about professions, computer science, CS theory and application!”
Voorhees, 65, started working for the college after answering an ad in the local newspaper. He was turned down on his first application, but in a change of heart that his advocates would say is the smartest thing Le Moyne ever did, the college contacted him again a few months later, asking if he was still interested.
He was, and he took the job. A couple years later, he started a remote learning program to earn his PhD from Nova Southeastern University while he continued teaching at Le Moyne. He said he took that step because he wanted to continue to teach, and he knew the advanced degree would allow him to stay in that position.
Over his years at Le Moyne, Voorhees slowly developed the computer science program into what it is today. It includes such aspects as cyber security and has branched into planning, as well as involving other college departments that interact with everyday users.
His legacy is extensive: From getting more classes related to computer science to getting an approved major and minor alongside more faculty to eventually forming a new department in step with profound advances in national technology.
Most important, Voorhees has affected the lives of many people who have taken his classes and he has left students with lasting impressions not only of the subject, but also of himself as a teacher.
Lebrun, for instance, speaks of how Voorhees recently drove several students to a coding competition.
“He woke up at probably around 6 a.m. to pick up us from campus,” Lebrun said. “I personally don’t know a lot of professors who would do that for us; therefore, I shouldn’t have to explain his dedication to the art of CS.”
During a recent presentation on the arrival of Micron – a computer chip giant – in Central New York, Voorhees said he is ready to retire. “Simply ready to move on to the next adventure,” he wrote in a recent email, but he also said he returns the same affection for staff and students he’s feeling as he leaves.
While he said he is excited about the potential impact of Micron on the region, he has a particularly important reason for retiring:
“I’ve got four grandkids,” Voorhees said.