Building community-centered technology through research, education, and cybersecurity
Welcome to the GitHub organization for the Department of Computer Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver. This organization hosts research projects, student-built applications, classroom assignments, and collaborative initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to applied computing with real-world impact.
The Community-Centered Computing Lab (C3 Lab) is the department's research lab, co-directed by Dr. Daniel Pittman and Dr. Ranjidha Rajan. The lab designs and builds technology that empowers communities through accessible data systems, applied AI, and human-centered computing.
NSF CISE-MSI Award • $1.2M • 2023-2026
A statewide sustainability-data platform integrating AI, geospatial systems, and natural language interaction. Features Bili, an AI-powered sustainability assistant that makes Colorado's environmental data accessible to all.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Daniel Pittman
Repository: bili-core
SIPA GovGrants • $496K • 2026-2027
A statewide digital platform connecting K-12 schools, higher education institutions, nonprofits, and industry partners across Colorado to strengthen STEM education and workforce development pathways.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ranjidha Rajan
MSU Denver Campus Engagement Platform
MSU Denver's all-in-one mobile and web platform for campus event discovery and engagement. Built by students, for the community. Available on iOS and Android.
Repository: roadrunner-connect-app
MSU Denver • Spring-Fall 2026
A unified platform coordinating Supplemental Instruction, Teaching Assistant, and Learning Assistant programs at MSU Denver, streamlining faculty applications and improving equitable distribution of peer support resources.
The department offers three bachelor's degree programs:
- Computer Science (B.S.) - ABET Accredited
- Computer Security (B.S.)
- Data Science and Machine Learning (B.S.)
We use GitHub extensively in our courses through GitHub Classroom for assignments, projects, and collaborative learning. Many of the private repositories in this organization represent student coursework across our degree programs.
Faculty research spans multiple areas including AI/ML, cybersecurity, data science, educational technology, computer vision, and cloud computing. Learn more about faculty research projects.
The department facilitates academic connections with the MSU Denver Cybersecurity Center by hosting repositories for collaborative projects, including:
- CyberRunners - MSU Denver's competitive cybersecurity team (GitHub)
- Projects supporting Centurion Secured - Student-run SOC providing real security monitoring to Colorado clients
Students in the C3 Lab and across the department gain hands-on experience with:
- Production Software Systems - Work on real applications serving real users
- Federal and State-Funded Research - Contribute to NSF, SIPA, and other externally-funded projects
- Modern Technology Stack - Python, React, Flutter, AWS, LangChain, PostGIS, and more
- Community Impact - Build platforms that directly benefit Colorado communities
- Open-Source Development - Contribute to public repositories with real-world impact
Interested in joining? Complete the C3 Lab Student Interest Form or contact the lab directors.
- Department Website: msudenver.edu/computer-sciences
- C3 Lab Website: msu-denver.github.io/c3-lab
- Faculty Research: CS Faculty Research Projects
- Cybersecurity Center: msudenver.edu/cybersecurity-center
- CACED College: msudenver.edu/aerospace-computing-engineering-design
C3 Lab Directors:
- Dr. Daniel Pittman - dpittma8@msudenver.edu
- Dr. Ranjidha Rajan - rranjidh@msudenver.edu
Department Office:
- 303-615-0399
- AES Building, 2nd Floor
- csdept@msudenver.edu
The Department of Computer Sciences is part of CACED (College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering, and Design) at Metropolitan State University of Denver, an open-access institution serving the Denver metro area.
