People
Allen McBride
Visiting Assistant Professor, 2022
Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2022)
Office: Petty 001
Email: acmcbride@uncg.edu
Research: Artificial Morphogenesis, Swarm Robotics, Amorphous Computing, Bio-inspired Computing
Teaching: Foundations of Computer Science, Principles of Operating Systems, Algorithm Analysis and Design
Research Overview
Dr. McBride studies artificial morphogenesis, a branch of bio-inspired computing. Also known as morphogenetic engineering, this field takes inspiration from biological morphogenesis, or the creation of shape in a developing multicellular organism. Artificial morphogenesis aims to bring to manufacturing some of the benefits of biological structures, such as robustness, scalability, and complexity. Future applications may include medical devices, self-constructing buildings, and neuromorphic processors. McBride’s research focuses on global-to-local compilation of continuous morphogenetic descriptions, with an emphasis on embodied, naturally parallel communication protocols. It is closely related to swarm robotics and amorphous computing.
About
Dr. McBride joined the UNCG faculty in 2022 as a Visiting Assistant Professor. He holds a B.A. in Biology from Swarthmore College, an M.A. in Ecology from Duke University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he studied under Dr. Bruce MacLennan. McBride previously was a postgraduate researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where his research included work on biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable bioenergy.
