Futuristic photo of digital globe

CSE launches new Data Science Initiative to improve research and build partnerships

Professor Vipin Kumar appointed inaugural director

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/18/2022) — The University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE) recently launched a new Data Science Initiative (DSI) that aims to enhance the quality, impact, and visibility of data science research in the college as well as build collaborations within the University of Minnesota and with outside partners.

University of Minnesota Regents Professor Vipin Kumar was appointed as the first director of the initiative. Kumar will concurrently hold the ADC Data Science Initiative Director Chair. He was appointed to a three-year, renewable term.

In addition to research, the initiative aims to integrate education by serving as a mentoring hub for the next generation of data scientists. DSI will support existing data science degree and certificate programs at both the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. The initiative will also enable the development of new data science educational programs at the University of Minnesota.

"Data science impacts all of our lives on a daily basis from health care to climate change," said Kumar. "DSI aims to address grand challenges facing our state, nation, and the humanity worldwide. It will make a mark in data science nationally and internationally by charting new research directions, and enabling development of new data sets and software."

DSI will leverage existing unique strengths of the College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, and the State of Minnesota. More than 60 University of Minnesota faculty are already part of DSI’s affiliate faculty. Their research spans many disciplines including agriculture, health care, environment, and social research.

The new CSE DSI grew out of a series of planning activities, including a task force on data science and subsequent broader consultation with a variety of stakeholders.

Kumar, who has been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota since 1989, holds the William Norris Endowed Chair in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. In the past, he has served as the head of the Computer Science and Engineering Department from 2005 to 2015 and the Director of Army High Performance Computing Research Center (AHPCRC) from 1998 to 2005. 

Kumar's current research interests span data mining, high-performance computing, and their applications in climate/ecosystems and health care. He has authored more than 300 research articles, and has co-edited or co-authored 10 books, including two text books that are used worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages.

Kumar's current research focus is on advancing machine learning to enable the use of big data to better understand the impact of human induced changes on the Earth and its environment. Kumar served as the lead of a five-year, $10 million project entitled “Understanding Climate Change - A Data Driven Approach” funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Expeditions in Computing program aimed at pushing the boundaries of computer science research.

For more information on how you can connect with DSI, visit our new CSE DSI website or send an email to csedsi@umn.edu.

Share