The University of Wyoming has made a commitment to raise its performance in computing and technology, both to improve students’ education and better serve the Cowboy State and nation. The commitment has taken a major step forward with the creation of a new School of Computing at the university.
According to Chad Baldwin with UW’s Department of Institutional Communications, the board of trustees voted Jan. 25, to authorize the launch of the new academic unit.
Baldwin told listeners of Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse program that the budding school will initially be housed in the College of Engineering and Applied Science to accelerate its development. Eventually, the School of Computing will become a separate unit similar to the School of Energy Resources and Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, with its own dean and interdisciplinary connections across the university.
C. Baldwin
According to Baldwin, the school will begin operations immediately, including appointment of an interim director, hiring of initial staff members and advertising for faculty members. One-time funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act allocated by Gov. Mark Gordon will be used to accelerate the development of the school.
At the end of its first five years, the School of Computing is expected to have — in addition to a director, a business manager and an office manager — 10-13 faculty members in computing, the majority of whom are envisioned to be jointly hired with other UW departments; five graduate assistants; 15 undergraduate scholars; and 10 faculty affiliates.
Ultimately, plans call for the school to have about 24 faculty members, with a dean, more graduate assistants and other support staff. This structure will support planned undergraduate and graduate degree programs in computing, along with collaborative research programs with public- and private-sector partners.
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Last modified: January 26, 2022