Dr. Ross Foultz
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Leadership Portfolio Conway / Myrtle Beach, SC (Remote-friendly) index.php

Academic Leader & Computer Science Educator | Program Development | Online Learning | AI, Security, and Search

I lead and build high-impact CS/IT learning experiences—creating courses, coordinating instruction, mentoring students, and advancing human-centered AI scholarship.

  • 15+ years in higher education across CS/IT and STEM instruction
  • Course coordinator + course creator with multiple curriculum grants and showcases
  • Advisor and program chair for CS student organizations (ACM, UPE, IEEE)
  • Research focus: bidirectional heuristic search, relaxed problems, AI for learning & work
DRF
Dr. Ross Foultz
Conway / Myrtle Beach, SC (Remote-friendly)
15+ yrs
Higher-Ed Experience
CSCI 101, CSCI 145
Course Coordination
Multiple (2017–2023)
Course Creation Grants
ACM • UPE • IEEE
Org Leadership

Focus Areas

AI in education • Heuristics & search • Cybersecurity • Program operations • Student success

Leadership Strengths

Strategic, operational, and student-centered leadership pillars

Curriculum & Program Development

Create, redesign, and coordinate CS/IT curricula that translate theory into employable skills—supported by clear outcomes, assessments, and consistent delivery.

Instructional Leadership & Quality

Coach and support instructors, emphasize academic integrity, and strengthen student success through feedback loops, rubrics, and structured course operations.

Student Mentorship & Professional Growth

Mentor students beyond the classroom—supporting academic progress, career readiness, research participation, and engagement through student organizations.

Applied AI & Security Expertise

Bridge AI, cybersecurity, and software practice—focusing on ethical adoption, secure systems, and search/heuristic optimization in modern computing contexts.

Experience

Selected roles and leadership responsibilities

Senior Lecturer, Computer Science & Information Technology

Coastal Carolina University — Conway, SC • 10/2024 – Present
  • Course coordinator for CSCI 101 (University Core) and coordinator/developer for CSCI 145 (Intermediate Programming).
  • Advisor for UPE Computer Science Honors Society; advisor/program chair for CS student organizations (ACM, UPE, IEEE).
  • Develop and teach classroom and online CS/IT courses; engage students through interactive lectures and hands-on learning.
  • Invite students to participate in studies, publications, and grant writing; emphasize academic honesty and proper citation.

Adjunct, Computer Science & Information Technology

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) — Remote • 08/2023 – Present
  • Teach online CS/IT courses with student-centered methods and high expectations for academic integrity.
  • Support student growth through clear feedback, coaching, and applied learning aligned to workforce outcomes.

Lecturer, Computer Science & Information Technology

Coastal Carolina University — Conway, SC • 08/2018 – 10/2024
  • Course coordinator for CSCI 101; coordinator/developer for CSCI 145.
  • Advisor/program chair for CS organizations; supported honors and professional society engagement.
  • Designed and delivered classroom/online courses; supported research, grant writing, and student professionalization.

Teaching Associate, Computer Science & Information Technology

Coastal Carolina University — Conway, SC • 08/2015 – 2018
  • Developed and taught classroom and online CS/IT courses; emphasized integrity, applied learning, and student readiness.

Professor, Computer Science & Information Technology

Horry-Georgetown Technical College — Conway, SC • 08/2009 – 12/2016
  • Taught CS, IT, and Microsoft Applications in classroom and online modalities.
  • Maintained thorough attendance/grade records to support accountability and success.

Owner / Operator

Digital Solutions MB, Inc. — Myrtle Beach, SC • 01/1999 – Present
  • Provide technology solutions that improve business presence and operations: email, storage, VPS, domains, web systems, and network support.
  • Manage and maintain business networks by assessing needs and delivering reliable infrastructure.

Education

Degrees and doctoral research focus

Ph.D., Computer Science (ABD; completion target 04/2026)

University of South Carolina / National University

Dissertation: AI — Bi-directional search cost of computing heuristics on relaxed problems (in progress).

DCS, Doctor of Computer Science (Information Assurance)

Colorado Technical University

Dissertation: Mobile Application Security.

M.S., Information Technology & Project Management

American Intercontinental University

B.B.A., Business Administration & Operations Management

American Intercontinental University

A.A., Business Administration

American Intercontinental University

Publications

Published works and current manuscripts in progress

Published / Presented

Journal publication(s) and conference presentations.

Analysis of risk tolerance with sensitive data used on personal/business devices in various age groups

International Journal of Computer Science and Control Engineering (Open Science) • 2018

Beyond the classroom: Give students the skills they need to get a job, and keep a job

AFC International Conference on Teaching and Learning (Orlando, FL) — Lecture session • 2018

N+ Learn About CompTIA's Updated Network+ Certification (N10-007)

Cengage Computing Experience (CCE) (Charleston, SC) — Lecture session • 2018

Works in Progress

Current writing pipeline and research direction.

Becoming More Human with AI

Manuscript in progress (target 04/2026)

How task automation can restore judgment, empathy, and creativity at work.

IN PROGRESS • MANUSCRIPT IN PROGRESS

Teaching with AI

Drafting (target 04/2026)

Practical instructional patterns and assessment approaches for ethical AI use in education.

IN PROGRESS • DRAFTING (TARGET 04/20

The paradigm shift with AI

Outline complete (target 04/2026)

A framework for understanding AI’s impact on learning, work, and organizational design.

IN PROGRESS • OUTLINE COMPLETE (TARG

Applying the Foultz AI theorium

Concept paper in progress

A theorium connecting heuristics, context, and scalable feedback for learning and coordination.

IN PROGRESS • CONCEPT PAPER IN PROGR

Heuristics in AI bi-directional searches by process of relaxation

Drafting

Heuristic relaxation techniques to reduce search cost while preserving solution quality.

IN PROGRESS • DRAFTING

Mobile Application — How to defend

In progress

Applied guidance for defending mobile applications and reducing common security risks.

IN PROGRESS • IN PROGRESS

What does that message say?

In progress (grant work)

Exploring interpretation, security, and communication patterns in modern systems.

IN PROGRESS • IN PROGRESS (GRANT WOR

Bidirectional Heuristic Search — Developing a better algorithm

In progress

Improved bidirectional heuristic search design and evaluation.

IN PROGRESS • IN PROGRESS

Awards, Honors & Grants

Recognition for course development and academic contributions

Awards & Honors

  • UPE Honors Society (2018)
  • Exemplary Course Development Showcase — Coastal Carolina University (2018–2021)
  • CSCI 101 — Course Creation Grant (completed 2019)
  • CSCI 145 — Intermediate Programming — Course Creation (completed 2023)
  • CSCI 225 — Intro to Relational Database & SQL — Course Redesign Grant (completed 2017)
  • CSCI 270 — Data Communications Systems & Networks — Course Creation Grant (completed 2018)
  • CSCI 415 — Windows Server Administration — Course Creation Grant (completed 2018)
  • CSCI 425 — Database Systems Design — Course Creation Grant (completed 2018)
  • CSCI 490 — Software Engineering II — Course Creation Grant (completed 2022)
  • IST 600 — Foundations in Data-Driven Programming — Grant awarded (completed 2021)
  • IST 610 — Networking & Cybersecurity Fundamentals — Grant awarded (completed 2021)
  • IST 677 — Data Visualization — Grant awarded (completed 2022)
  • IST 697 — Special Topics in Data Analytics — Grant awarded (completed 2022)

Community Service

  • Non-Profit IT Directory — 2009 – Present
  • Theater of the Republic

Certifications & Tools

Linux/Windows/Mac • SQL • Python • PHP • Java • Swift • Android • Networking fundamentals • Security foundations

Contact

Program leadership, speaking, collaboration, or publication inquiries

Let’s connect

Interested in online program leadership, AI-enabled teaching, cybersecurity, or heuristic search research? I’m open to collaborations, speaking opportunities, and publication conversations.

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