Marilyn Wulfekuhler loves the “Aha moments” of learning.
“I really like when students finally grasp a concept they've been struggling with,” said the teaching specialist in MSU’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). “It's also very gratifying when a student, who came into my class with little motivation and confidence, decides that it's not so bad after all.”
In Spring 2026, she will begin teaching CSE 291, a three-credit artificial intelligence (AI) and computational literacy course. The hands-on, beginner-friendly class will help students from all fields of study at MSU understand computational thinking and problem solving by using common AI tools and gaining an understanding – at a high level – of machine learning and natural language processing.
“We feel that with all the new developments in AI, it is important to have a course for students to learn how to navigate the various tools and use them effectively and responsibly. They need to know if what is delivered from AI is true, useful, and worthwhile. It’s a skill that everyone will need going into the future.”
Wulfekuhler received a bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa and a master’s degree at Tulane University, both in computer science. She then worked as a software engineer in industry for several years before enrolling at MSU for a Ph.D. in computer science.
She spent the early 2000s as a teaching specialist at MSU until she co-founded a software business in 2005. In 2017, she sold her business and returned to MSU.
She currently teaches CSE 102, Algorithmic Thinking and Programming, until recently a large enrollment class that is historically non-computer science majors.
“Our team taught beginning Python programming to approximately 3,000 students a year and supervised a staff of around 100 graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants,” she said. “Each new semester has that same energy of a new beginning. Computer Science is a field with rapidly changing technology and offers me the opportunity to be continually learning. There's no chance this job gets stale!”
Students today, she noted, don’t learn the same way students did 20 years ago.
“Everyone has an enormous store of knowledge in their pocket readily available, so our expectations of student learning must change to keep up with the new paradigms.”
Wulfekuhler is pleased to see her students excel and go on to help as undergraduate learning assistants.
“Being able to see students who not only can score well on exams but grow so they can interact with and teach others makes me very proud,” she added.
Current MSU students interestedCSE 291, a three-credit artificial intelligence (AI) and computational literacy course, should contact Marilyn Wulfekuhler.
Written by Patricia Mroczek
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page