New Role: Director of Si2
I am excited to serve in my new role as the Director of the School of Interdisciplinary Informatics.
The College of IS&T formed the School of Interdisciplinary Informatics with a strong belief that interdisciplinary education and research are necessary for preparing the next generation of IT workforce and stimulating innovation. The School is called Si2 (S-I-two) for short. As an academic unit, Si2 is home to leading interdisciplinary informatics programs in Cybersecurity, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Informatics, and IT Innovation. Each degree program draws on the in-depth foundational knowledge in life sciences, public healthcare, information security, multimedia, and the arts to build innovative curricula that transcend these fields.
The collaborative spirit runs deep in Si2. You will find uncommon camaraderie among Si2 faculty that are passionate about “doing cool stuff.” Where else would you find a committee named COFFEE or… The COol stuFF committEE? A volunteer group of faculty from Si2 programs formed this committee to support interdisciplinary efforts and events. The collaborative spirit in Si2 is evident internally and in our academic, research, and community partnerships externally. We are proud of each degree offered in Si2 and the strategic educational partnerships with other academic units that support our students’ unique educational experience. The interdisciplinary research portfolio of our faculty is unmatched, with many nationally and internationally recognized outcomes. And we could not be more grateful to be within a thriving Omaha community that is fully engaged in ensuring our students’ success and building educational pipelines for the workforce, and providing IT opportunities for under-represented groups.
Under the leadership of our Founding Director, Dr. Ann Fruhling, Si2 saw a decade of incredible growth in our faculty numbers and student enrollments. I took on the Director’s role in Fall 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many things have changed, and uncertainty abounds. But I am confident in our ability to continue our momentum by taking care of each other, supporting our faculty and students, and staying focused on doing what we do best — cool things! All education and research programs in the Si2 are now more relevant than ever, and tremendous opportunities lie ahead of us. I invite you to learn more about us and the outstanding education and research opportunities you will find here at Si2.
Robin