Data, AI, and Computing
Status Update
Nitesh Chawla, the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and founding director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, was recently appointed to lead Notre Dame’s Data, AI & Computing Initiative as the Lucy Family Director for Data and AI Academic Strategy. The initiative’s core aim is to advance purposeful data, AI, and computing — excelling in foundational research while catalyzing interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world translation to address pressing societal challenges.
An expert in artificial intelligence, data science, and network science, Chawla will work to better integrate related efforts across colleges, centers, institutes, and disciplines and advance Notre Dame as the leading global Catholic research university. Working closely with the Office of the Provost, Chawla has formed an executive committee that includes academic leaders and faculty experts to help shape and implement the Data, AI, and Computing Initiative in the coming years. In partnership with ND Learning, the Initiative recently established a Task Force on Data, AI and Computing Integration in and for Curriculum and Learning. All of these efforts build on the work of the Task Force for Data and Computing and the recommendations of the Opportunities for Excellence Theme Advisory Committee that informed the development of the strategic framework.
Call for Faculty Working Groups
The DAC initiative invites proposals for faculty-led Working Groups that will explore emerging research areas in data, AI, and computing. These groups are intended to bring together interdisciplinary teams of faculty and resources to identify promising directions for future research, recruitment, team science, and translational impact in DAC.
