Amid ongoing efforts to expand the number of senior faculty in Harvard's Department of Computer Science, the University has granted tenure to Michael D. Smith, a popular associate professor who studies computer architecture.

"The promotion of Mike Smith to tenure is a wonderful development for computer science at Harvard, a real step forward in our efforts to strengthen this program," Harry R. Lewis '68, Dean of the College and Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, wrote in an e-mail message.

Smith, who obtained his doctorate in Electrical Engineering in 1993 from Stanford University, worked in the industrial field designing computer chips and central processing unit boards before beginning his teaching career.

Smith's promotion reflects Harvard's realization of that computer science is becoming an increasingly popular field of study, especially among undergraduates, said Watson Professor of Computer Science Michael O. Rabin.

"The department is in a stage of expansion," Rabin said. "Harvard realizes that computer science is a very important field."

Rabin added that students are attracted to the program both because of its intellectual challenge and because of the opportunities it offers for later financial success.

The department is currently in the process of recruiting both junior and senior faculty members in order to fulfill student demand, Rabin said.

But finding quality faculty members like Smith is a challenge he added.

"Nowadays it's very, very difficult to get good people especially with competition from the marketplace," he said.

Henry H. Leitner, a senior lecturer in the department, said the field of computer science is rapidly expanding along with Harvard's department.

"Having an extra body on the computer science faculty with tenure will add stability," Leitner said.

In addition to his merits as a researcher, Smith is also an outstanding teacher, Leitner added.

"We need more people like Michael Smith," he said. "Undergraduates love him, his teaching evaluations are always among the very highest. Harvard did very well in this case."

. Smith received the prestigious National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award in 1994.

His current work focuses in the area of computer architecture and optimizing the performance of what are called "uniprocessors."

"His area, computer architecture, is central to the field and Smith has strong connections to the industrial world," Lewis wrote. "We are all tremendously happy about this promotion."

Part of the tenure process includes soliciting opinions on faculty from scholars outside Harvard.

Rabin said those in the field who supported Smith's tenure conveyed "significant enthusiasm" about his accomplishments.

"He's an excellent colleague to have here," Rabin said.