University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information

40°26′50″N 79°57′10″W / 40.447332°N 79.952712°W / 40.447332; -79.952712

University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information
Established2017 (from a merger of programs established in 1901 and 1966)
DeanBruce Childers (2020)
Academic staff
65
Students1,561
Location
Pittsburgh
,
Pennsylvania
,
US
CampusUrban
Websitewww.sci.pitt.edu

The University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information is one of the 17 schools and colleges of University of Pittsburgh located on the university's main campus in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The school was formed in 2017[1] with a focus on academic programs that teach contextually situated computing in an interdisciplinary manner.[2] The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees as well as certificate programs and houses three departments: Computer Science, Informatics and Networked Systems, and Information Culture and Data Stewardship.[3]

The school was created by combining the university's School of Information Sciences, which was also known as the "iSchool" and was founded in 1901,[4][5] with the Department of Computer Science, which was founded in 1966[6] and previously housed the university's Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Located on the University of Pittsburgh's main campus in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, the school was led by its founding Dean Paul Cohen[7] until he stepped down in July 2020 to be temporarily replaced by Interim Dean Bruce Childers.[8] Childers was named the new dean of the school in April 2022.[9]

Founded in 1901, the former School of Information Sciences was one of the nation's pioneering schools in the education of information professionals. Originating as the Training School for Children's Librarians at the Carnegie Library, the school moved to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1930, and eventually to the University of Pittsburgh in 1961.[10] In its last year as a separate school, it is ranked 10th in the list of Best Library and Information Studies Programs by U.S. News & World Report[11] and is one of the original members in the list of I-Schools. The Department of Computer Science was founded in 1966 making it one of the oldest such departments in the country.[12]

  1. ^ Schackner, Bill (October 29, 2016). "New school at Pitt aims to attract top talent". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  2. ^ Levine, Marty (May 12, 2016). "Plans for CS/IS school proceed". University Times. Vol. 48, no. 2. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "Departments". University of Pittsburgh. 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  4. ^ Bleier, Carol (2001). Tradition in transition : a history of the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4088-X.
  5. ^ Aspray, William (1999). "Command and Control, Documentation, and Library Science: The Origins of Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh". IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. 21 (4): 4–20. doi:10.1109/85.801528.
  6. ^ "1966-76: The Formative Years". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  7. ^ Schackner, Bill (May 8, 2017). "Pitt names DARPA manager founding dean of computing school". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  8. ^ Jones, Susan (May 7, 2020). "Executive changes: SVC for Business on leave; SCI dean stepping down". University Times. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  9. ^ "Bruce Childers Named Dean of the School of Computing and Information". University of Pittsburgh Office of the Provost. April 14, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  10. ^ Alberts, Robert C. (1986). Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh 1787–1987. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 287. ISBN 0-8229-1150-7. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  11. ^ "America's Best Graduate Schools 2021". U.S. News & World Report. 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Department of Computer Science". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved August 25, 2017.