Insider Brief

• Vanderbilt University is establishing a new College of Connected Computing dedicated to computer science, AI, data science, and related fields, aiming to meet the increasing demand for technological degrees and advance research in these rapidly evolving disciplines.
• The interdisciplinary college will work collaboratively with all of Vanderbilt’s schools and colleges, adopting a “computing for all” approach to enhance computing education and support breakthrough discoveries across various sectors.
• The college, to be led by a newly appointed dean, represents Vanderbilt’s commitment to becoming a global leader in computer science and related fields, enhancing academic excellence, and contributing to world-changing innovations.

PRESS RELEASE — NASHVILLE, TN/March 25, 2024 — Vanderbilt has begun work to establish a transformative college dedicated to computer science, AI, data science and related fields, university leaders announced today. In addition to meeting the growing demand for degrees in technological fields and advancing research in rapidly evolving, computing-related disciplines, the new, interdisciplinary college will collaborate with all of Vanderbilt’s schools and colleges to advance breakthrough discoveries and strengthen computing education through a “computing for all” approach.

The College of Connected Computing will be led by a new dean, who will report to Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver and to School of Engineering Dean Krishnendu “Krish” Roy. The search for the college’s dean is scheduled to begin in late August, and recruiting of faculty will begin in the coming months. It will be the first new college at Vanderbilt since the university and the Blair School of Music merged in 1981.

“Of all the factors shaping society, few are more influential than the rapid emergence of advanced computing, AI and data science,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “To continue to carry out our mission, prepare all our students for their careers and advance research across the university, Vanderbilt must contribute even more to the study, understanding and innovative application of these fast-changing disciplines. Our aim is to make Vanderbilt a global leader in these fields, ensuring our continued academic excellence and capacity for world-changing innovation.”

“Our new college will enable us to build upon our strong programs and catapult Vanderbilt to the forefront of breakthrough discovery and innovation — in key areas of computer science and also in a wide range of other disciplines that capitalize on advanced computational methods. In launching this new college, we will provide students with highest-caliber educational opportunities at the intersection of these pathbreaking fields,” Raver said. “The creation of this college represents a tremendous win and will be transformative for our entire university community.”

Raver noted the ways that Vanderbilt is forging a bold and distinct strategic path to address burgeoning research and educational opportunities, including increasing demand for expertise in computing-related fields. Moreover, she said, the global interest in AI “aligns perfectly” with Vanderbilt’s leading work in that field. She said a dedicated college will enable Vanderbilt to keep making groundbreaking discoveries at the intersections of computing and other disciplines and will more effectively leverage advanced computing to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.

“The establishment of this interdisciplinary, ‘cross-cutting’ college is a watershed moment — not only for the School of Engineering, but also for the entire university,” Roy said. “The future of education, research and thinking in all disciplines is now inherently tied to, and will be greatly influenced by, the knowledge and power of computing. The idea of ‘computing for all’ is fundamental to the future of learning.”

Many of the specific details about the college — including its departments, degree programs and research infrastructure — will be informed by the recommendations of a task force on connected computing composed of faculty from across the university. In addition, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Padma Raghavan will launch a Computing Catalyst working group that will engage faculty and staff leaders in computing from across campus and solicit their input on strategically expanding the university’s computing resources. “The decision to establish this new college is rooted in conversations with faculty,” Raver said. “We are continuing that faculty engagement with this working group, and we’re fortunate to have the advice of some of the best minds in these fields as we embark on this exciting journey.”

The members of the Connected Computing Task Force include:

Krishnendu Roy, Chair
Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering
University Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology; and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Douglas Adams
Vice Dean of the School of Engineering
Daniel F. Flowers Chair
Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Affiliate, VINSE

Hiba Baroud
Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
James and Alice B. Clark Foundation Faculty Fellow
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Faculty Affiliate, VECTOR, Data Science Institute

Gautam Biswas
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Computer Science and Computer Engineering
Professor of Engineering Management
Senior Research Scientist, ISIS
Faculty Affiliate, Data Science Institute

Erin Calipari
Associate Professor of Pharmacology
Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Director, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research
Faculty Affiliate, Vanderbilt Brain Institute

Laurie Cutting
Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor and Professor of Special Education
Professor of Psychology
Professor of Pediatrics
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Associate Provost in the Office of the Vice Provost of Research and Innovation
Associate Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
Faculty Affiliate, Vanderbilt Brain Institute

Benoit Dawant
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Electrical Engineering
Incoming Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Director and Steering Committee Chair, Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery & Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Professor of Computer Science

Abhishek Dubey
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Director, SCOPE lab at ISIS
Faculty Affiliate, Institute for Software Integrated Systems and Data Science Institute

Bennett Landman
Stevenson Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Professor of Computer Science
Professor of Neurology
Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
Faculty Affiliate, Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE), Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Image Science (VUIIS), Data Science Institute

Michael Matheny
Professor of Biomedical Informatics
Professor of Biostatistics
Professor of Medicine
Director, Center for Improving the Public’s Health Through Informatics

Sandeep Neema
Professor of Computer Science
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Chair of the Executive Council, Institute for Software Integrated Systems

Ipek Oguz
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Faculty Affiliate, Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE)

J.B. Ruhl
David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law
Director, Program in Law and Innovation
Co-Director, Energy, Environment and Land Use Program
Faculty Affiliate, Data Science Institute

Jesse Spencer-Smith
Professor of the Practice of Computer Science
Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Interim Director and Chief Data Scientist, Data Science Institute

Jonathan Sprinkle
Professor of Computer Science
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Faculty Affiliate, Institute for Software Integrated Systems

Yuankai “Kenny” Tao
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
SPIE Faculty Fellow in Engineering
Faculty Affiliate, Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery & Engineering

Holly Tucker
Mellon Foundation Chair in the Humanities
Professor of French
Director, Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities

Kalman Varga
Vice Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy
Professor of Physics
Director, Minor in Scientific Computing
Faculty Affiliate, VINSE

Steven Wernke
Chair of the Department of Anthropology
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Director, Vanderbilt Initiative for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Research
Faculty Affiliate, Data Science Institute

Jules White
Professor of Computer Science
Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics
Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Generative AI in Education and Enterprise Solutions
Faculty Affiliate, Institute for Software Integrated Systems, Data Science Institute

Dan Work
Director of Graduate Studies in Civil Engineering
Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Professor of Computer Science
Faculty Affiliate, VECTOR, Institute for Software Integrated Systems, Data Science Institute

Tracey George
ex officio
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education
Charles B. Cox III and Lucy D. Cox Family Chair in Law and Liberty
Professor of Law

Tiffiny Tung
Ex officio
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Social and Natural Sciences
Professor of Anthropology

Members of the Vanderbilt community can learn more about this initiative and share feedback with the faculty working group by visiting vanderbilt.edu/about/computingtaskforce.

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