Dear colleagues, alumni and friends,
With the end of the semester quickly approaching, I wanted to share some stories that came out of the University of Florida Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering in the last few months.
This fall, the department congratulated a faculty member for receiving a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a set of algorithms and an app that will allow public health investigators to test and analyze biological samples for antibiotic resistance in rural areas. One of our faculty was recently elected as a member of the Academia Europaea. We also hired three faculty who will be joining us in January. Another faculty member is working on a project to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum for grades K-12.
This past summer, UF announced a public-private partnership with NVIDIA that will catapult the university’s research strength to address some of the world’s most formidable challenges, create unprecedented access to AI training and tools for underrepresented communities, and build momentum for transforming the future of the workforce.
As we continue to deal with challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to reiterate that our priority continues to be the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students. I spent time this summer creating free software, the Inline Ticketing System, that allows people to hold their place in line without risking their health, which is especially helpful at COVID-19 testing sites.
Our biannual CISE Career Fair took place in September. We had a great turnout for our first virtual event. We hope to have similar success when for our Spring CISE Career Fair on February 1, 2021.
Please visit the UF Health Updates page for complete information on the university’s response to COVID-19.
This was an eventful semester, and we’re looking forward to a great spring.
Juan E. Gilbert, Ph.D.
The Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor
Chair, Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering