According to a campus-wide email Thursday, Stanley C. Ahalt will serve as the inaugural dean of the School of Data Science and Society, which is slated to open this fall.
Ahalt is currently the director of the Renaissance Computing Institute, a data science collaboration hub between UNC, North Carolina State University and Duke University.
While at RENCI, Ahalt integrated data science into the curriculum of UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences and helped launch the Carolina Health Informatics Program at the School of Information and Library Science.
In addition to helping found the National Consortium for Data Science, which supports a 21st century data-driven economy, Ahalt also helped secure $34.5 million in data science grant funding for the university.
Prior to UNC, Ahalt was Executive Director of the Ohio Supercomputer Center. He was also a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State University for over 20 years.
“We believe Stan’s passion for using a team approach in applying data science to society’s biggest challenges makes him an ideal choice to lead our new School of Data Science and Society as we prepare to launch it this fall to start,” the email reads.
The school will focus on the fundamentals of data science and how it can be applied to help individuals in North Carolina and around the world. According to the email, the school will incorporate UNC’s collaborative culture and interdisciplinary problem-solving techniques.
“The new school will also prepare students for a changing workplace and help attract and retain competitive employers in our state,” the email reads.
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