Industry Communications: Fall 2021
By Phil Carter
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is transforming its Department of Computer Science and Engineering into the School of Computing.
With faculty approval and university support, the School of Computing is now fully housed in the College of Engineering following an endorsement this summer from Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. The School of Computing is receiving a nearly $10 million investment from the Chancellor’s Office to support new faculty and academic programs. Before the creation of the School of Computing, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering was shared between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering.
“Having a School of Computing will raise the profile and reputation of the university by attracting diverse, top-level students and faculty who are crucial for the university’s and state’s future,” said Lance C. Pérez, dean. “Computing permeates almost every aspect of society, including medicine, finance, agriculture, the humanities, government and the design and operation of complex engineered systems.”
The Founding Director of the School of Computing is Marilyn Wolf, Ph.D., who joined the College of Engineering in 2019. Wolf received her bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University and was most recently Farmer Distinguished Chair and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to Georgia Tech, Wolf was member of Princeton University’s faculty and worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories.
“A School of Computing will enhance the research enterprise of the College of Engineering and UNL, and create dynamic initiatives that facilitate faculty and student interactions with local, state and national industry partners and community stakeholders,’ Pérez noted. “Computing is a core competency for the Nebraska economy and the School of Computing will interrelate with the entire campus, providing students the necessary education in both core concepts and their broader implications.”
The School of Computing includes nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students and more than 40 faculty members. Undergraduate degrees are offered in computer science, computer engineering and software engineering. The graduate program offers both master’s and doctoral degrees.