Data Initiative Updates
The updates below reflect progress made toward the goals for this initiative.
Fall 2024
Dramatic changes in technology and careers make William & Mary’s wide-ranging strengths in computational and data science increasingly powerful as part of a liberal arts and sciences curriculum. We are honored to welcome Douglas “Doug” Schmidt ’84, M.A. ’86, an internationally recognized scholar with over 30 years of distinguished academic and government experience, as our inaugural dean for a new school that will open in 2025. Under his leadership, the school will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of these vital fields.
Spring 2023
Over the past spring, the CDAS steering committee led campuswide listening sessions and conducted surveys for feedback on potential structures for a new school in computer, data and applied science – fields essential to a broad liberal arts preparation for the 21st century. That committee is now preparing a report to the provost in advance of a final recommendation from her to the president and Board this coming fall.
W&M experts continue to expand the reach of our research in these rapidly growing arenas, and we invite you to explore them with us:
- The spring 2023 Tack lecture challenged audiences’ understanding of AI;
- A Presidential Conversation during W&M Weekend: San Francisco will focus on data revolution amid global change, featuring expertise from Tim Carroll ’87, head of Microsoft’s Climate Portfolio; Derek Aday, dean and director of W&M’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Suzanne Raitt, dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences; and Robert Rose, executive director of W&M’s Institute for Integrative Conservation.
Fall 2022
In response to the campus planning prompt from 2021, two departments and one program have been working on a proposal to consider how we might establish a new academic unit in computing, data science and applied science. A design team representing W&M's five schools has been discussing how we might meet the rapidly growing demand for these majors among students and increasing workforce demands for computational modeling and statistical analysis as powerful tools for critical thinking — relevant to every industry and discipline.
Spring 2022
Since February 2022, the university has been developing an academic and financial model for a new W&M entity in Computing, Data Science and Engineering. W&M has also met with several private sector companies and are in the process of developing specific connections between W&M faculty and company leaders to establish programs of mutual interest in an effort to better align our programs with society and workforce needs.
