The School of Computing and Information (SCI) is marking its third year as Pitt’s newest school. Since launching on July 1, 2017, SCI has committed to teaching and research that focuses on tackling the most pressing, complex challenges of today that require a new level of integrative thinking.
Among SCI’s accomplishments over the past three years:
- Becoming a four-year admitting undergraduate program
- Launching the Modeling and Managing Complicated Systems (momacs) Institute, aimed at using artificial intelligence and machine learning to model large-scale societal challenges such as food insecurity, national security and the opioid epidemic
- Redesigning the Master of Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) degree program
- Hiring tenure and appointed stream faculty, including nine new faculty members for the fall 2020 term
- Launching a Professional Institute, with its first offerings in cybersecurity to fill critical skills gaps in the industry and allow professionals to gain up-to-date competencies in this ever-changing field
As of July 1, founding dean Paul Cohen has transitioned into the role of director of the momacs Institute, as well as a faculty member of the Department of Computer Science. Bruce Childers has been appointed SCI’s interim dean. Childers has been with Pitt’s Department of Computer Science since 2000, and he has held a leadership role within SCI since its opening. Read Childers’ annual update message to the SCI community.
For more information about SCI’s new faculty, achievements and transitions as the School reflects on its first three years, visit SCI’s website.
