Dr. Branson W. Murrill
Department of Computer Science
School of Engineering

Background

Branson (Buz) W. Murrill was born in 1952 at MCV Hospital in Richmond, Va. and grew up in Henrico County.  He received a B.S. in Mathematics/Computer Science from the College of William and Mary in 1974.  After working for 2 years as an applications programmer, he attended the University of Virginia and earned a Master's degree in Computer Science from the UVA School of Engineering in January, 1978.  Dr. Murrill first taught at VCU as a summer adjunct in 1977, teaching computer science classes for the Department of Mathematical Sciences.  His father, Malcolm Murrill, Professor Emeritus of Mathematical Sciences, retired from that department in 1977 after 29 years of service, starting his career as an instructor in the 2-year VPI Engineering Program that was located on the campus of the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI).  Malcolm Murrill joined the newly-formed Department of Mathematical Sciences when VCU was created in 1968 from the merger of RPI and MCV.

Dr. Murrill was an instructor for the Department of Mathematical Sciences in 1978 and then worked in industry positions as a software engineer and a systems analyst.  He returned to VCU in 1984 as a full-time instructor of Mathematical Sciences, teaching computer science classes while working on a doctorate at the College of William and Mary.   Dr. Murrill completed a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1991 and was promoted to Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences.  He was awarded  tenure in 1997 and promoted to Associate Professor.  Dr. Murrill currently serves in the Department of Computer Science, which was separated from the Department of Mathematical Sciences and moved to the School of Engineering in 2001.