Kevin Mess

Kevin Mess is a professor in Computing and Information Technology at the College of Southern Nevada. He holds a Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS). Since 2013, he has taught Computer Science I and Computer Science II. His courses guide students from their first programs through object-oriented design, data structures, and disciplined software development.

His teaching emphasizes habits that transfer beyond a single course: read the problem carefully, design before coding, trace program behavior, test ordinary and boundary cases, debug systematically, and explain technical decisions clearly. His subject areas include C++ programming, structured problem solving, classes, abstract data types, memory reasoning, linked data structures, and project-based programming.

Kevin is the author of the Programming by Design series, including Think Before Coding and Own the Design. The series provides a coherent path through Computer Science I and Computer Science II by treating C++ syntax as part of a larger process of analysis, design, implementation, testing, and revision. His books and related resources are independently produced and are not institutional publications.