ATLANTA, GA — (August 2005) The Georgia Tech College of Computing (CoC) has announced the creation of a new computational Science and Engineering Division (CSED) to better reflect the critical role that computation plays at Georgia Tech and in the broader technology community. Along with theory and experimentation, computation has gained widespread acceptance as a key component in the advancement of knowledge and practice in science and engineering disciplines.

"Computation has become the 'third mode' of science and engineering, taking its place alongside theory and experimentation," says Rich DeMillo, College of Computing dean. "Our vision in the College is to explore and create the future of computing, so forming this division is just the first step in enabling Georgia Tech to be a leader on an international scale."

Modeled after the college's renowned Interface Computing (ICD) and Core Computing (CCD) divisions, CoC carved out a separate academic division around Computational Science and Engineering in order to create a specific identity and provide a certain level of autonomy essential for its success. While other competing universities or national laboratories have typically built high-performance computing research centers, CoC sought to establish an academic unit for education and research in order to provide a suitable "home" for graduate students and tenured faculty in this field.

Adhering to the visions of Georgia Tech Provost Jean-Lou Chameau and CoC Dean Rich DeMillo, the CSED was developed to enhance the university's strength in the computational and high-performance computing areas. Stepping into the CSED's leadership position is Richard Fujimoto, a Professor in the College of Computing. "As an internationally recognized expert in simulation technology, Richard Fujimoto is a natural leader for the Computational Science and Engineering Division" says CoC Professor Dick Lipton, who steered an internal task force and external executive search firm in identifying leaders in computational science to fill faculty positions in the new division. In addition to Fujimoto, several new and exceptional faculty members were brought on board.

As division chair, Fujimoto is charged with shaping and implementing the vision of CSED and leveraging Georgia Tech's investments to realize tangible impacts both on campus and in the broader community. Two of the key areas where Fujimoto anticipates focusing his efforts include modeling and simulation, and high performance computing. "For example, the Department of Defense has been promoting the establishment of modeling and simulation as its own discipline for many years," says Fujimoto. "This is one area where I think our efforts will be well received."

The division also represents a concrete step by the College of Computing to help bridge the gap between traditional Computer Science work that is typically generic (independent of the application domain), and work that is done in the context of a specific engineering or scientific discipline. By bridging this gap, the Computational Science and Engineering Division (CSED) will foster interdisciplinary activities on and off campus. "In keeping with our overall mission to foster innovative and interdisciplinary computing research and education, the College of Computing plans to build the CSED on multiple fronts, including the development of new educational programs, research thrusts and enhanced collaborations both within Georgia Tech as well as with key external strategic partners," stated Fujimoto.

About the College of Computing

The Georgia Tech College of Computing houses one of the largest computer science programs in the country with 68 academic faculty and 39 research faculty. The College strives to provide high quality instruction and to integrate computing knowledge into other academic disciplines as well as aspects of daily life. Over 1,500 students are enrolled in the college, including approximately 1,100 undergraduates and 481 graduate students, some 273 of which are Ph.D. students. The College is ranked 9th overall at the doctoral level and houses several interdisciplinary research centers including the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC), the Graphics, Visualization and Usability Center (GVU), Center for Experimental Research in Computer Systems (CERCS), and the Modeling & Simulation Research and Education Center (MSREC).

For more information, contact:
Joy Weaks, 406-544-5517
College of Computing
joyweaks@cc.gatech.edu
www.cc.gatech.edu