Innovation in data science
Data science creates new possibilities in fields as diverse as genomics, language processing, and digital arts. At UC Santa Cruz, increased individual and corporate giving is supporting foundational advances in these and other new frontiers. Entrepreneur Sage Weil advanced his own highly successful and industry-changing innovations in open-source software while a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz. His philanthropy is now ensuring that others can, too. He’s established the Center for Research in Open Source Software and a faculty chair to support invention by new cohorts of graduate and undergraduate students. In the critical field of data security, a new chair in storage and security supports frontline work. The UC Santa Cruz and tech ties go both ways. Last year, the university opened a new campus in Santa Clara. Bridging the launch of innovative student research and Silicon Valley careers is the Corporate Sponsored Senior Projects Program, supported by a dozen tech companies that introduce graduating seniors to real-life engineering problems. Additional tech partners are supporting the new Data, Discovery, and Decisions (D3) center of excellence at UC Santa Cruz, which is developing foundational research in data-driven discovery and decision making. The center provides a forum for researchers in industry and academia to exchange ideas and develop practical solutions—smartly and quickly.
Key support for innovation in data science provided by Sage Weil (Ph.D. ’07, computer sciences) and by Veritas/Symantec, Glassbeam, and other corporate sponsors including Toshiba, SK Hynix Memory Solutions, and Micron.