HPCwire: George Mason Announces New Type of IT Degree

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June 08, 2007

George Mason Announces New Type of IT Degree

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FAIRFAX, Va., June 7, 2007 -- George Mason University's College of Science today announced a new Bachelor of Science degree in Computational and Data Sciences. Approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia on May 8, students are currently being considered for fall 2007 admissions.

This undergraduate degree was established to provide students entering the high-tech workforce with advanced knowledge of computational techniques, applied mathematics and discipline-based sciences -- skills necessary to excel in the technology and science fields of the future. Knowledge in these core subjects, coupled with the processing power of today's computers, is enabling modern science breakthroughs in nanotechnology, the mapping of the human genome and the determination of global weather patterns. This new program builds on Mason's well-established program in computational science in research and at the graduate level.

"The integration between science and computer technology will increase in the years to come as high-speed computing systems become an integral part of scientific research. Those students with the aptitude and interest will be in great demand by organizations on the cutting edge of science innovations," said Dimitrios Papaconstantopoulos, professor of materials science and chair of the Department of Computational and Data Sciences.

A principle finding of a 2005 Presidential Commission was that "despite the great opportunities and needs, universities have not effectively recognized the strategic significance of computational science in either their organizational structures or their research and educational planning. These inadequacies compromise United States scientific leadership, economic competitiveness and national security."

Papaconstantopoulos agrees with this vision, stating that "To remain at the forefront of scientific discovery, universities must implement programs that provide rigorous educational preparation for the growing field of computational science."

The new program offers students a nationally unique course of study that will bridge an understanding of essential science subjects with visualization techniques, databases, data mining and modeling of simulation topics. The program also offers a set of "capstone classes" presenting a synthesis of math, science and computation geared toward solving real-world challenges in the areas of fluid dynamics, materials science, space weather, chemistry, nanotechnology and physics.

For more information about the program, contact John Wallin, associate professor and undergraduate program coordinator in the Department of Computational and Data Sciences, at jwallin@gmu.edu or 703-993-3617.

About the College of Science

The College of Science plays a central role in education and research in the physical, biological, mathematical and computational sciences. The mission of the college is to serve the local community and the nation by providing world-class scientific leadership in a wide variety of areas important to modern society, including bioscience, climate change, geoscience, physics, space science, mathematics and computational science.

About George Mason University

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