from the director

It’s hard to believe that February marks the first anniversary of the University of Miami Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC).  Despite the unprecedented challenges of the global COVID pandemic, IDSC has been successful in attracting top-tier faculty, launching new programs, and building collaborative academic and industry partnerships in many different disciplines.

In many ways, the past year has demonstrated the importance of applying powerful data science and computing tools to the world’s most pressing issues, including health disparities, extreme weather predictions, smart cities, and social media disinformation.

In this Spring 2021 issue, you can read about how talented faculty members, trainees, and partners are applying IDSC’s advanced resources, including the Triton and Pegasus supercomputers, in developing new applications and accelerating their research.

We also appreciate our strategic industry allies, who help align our educational programs with their workforce requirements, while bringing real-world learning experiences to our students.

IDSC is also focused on expanding our educational offerings on the UM campus, in the community and throughout the world.  For instance, enrollment in our new Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) program has already surpassed our expectations.  In the fall semester, we also welcomed four interns from the U.S. and Canada who spent last semester gaining skills in programming, analytics, and other computational topics in preparation for rewarding careers in data science.

Finally, it is a pleasure to announce our first round of IDSC grants for six interdisciplinary projects that will bring our computation and analytic resources to bear on complex issues.

Thank you for your support as we begin our second year of education, research, and service.

Nick Tsinoremas, PhD
idsc founding director  |  vice provost for research computing and data