Perspectives on Growing a Graduate Program in Computational Science

1. Perspectives on Growing a Graduate Program in Computational Science CASC Meeting, Oct. 4, 2012 Terry Mooretmoore@icl.utk.edu, Innovative Computing Laboratory, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2. Innovative Computing Laboratory

3. A Computational Science Program @ UTK Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor in Computational Science

4. A simple conception of Computational Science

5. Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor • Interdisciplinary • Digitalization and networking have encouraged interdisciplinary activities —— breaking down silos • Graduate • Each of the areas in the triangle has a core curriculum • But there is no core curriculum for Computational Science • Minor • Complementary knowledge/skill/expertise to main area of specialization • Goes on student’s transcript; part of the official record

6. Mathematicsand Statistics Computer And Information Science Domain Sciences Requirements for Students • General Idea: Students have a “home” area for their major degree; IGMCS minor requires a combination of courses “outside of home.” • Masters Level: Requires 9 hours (3 courses) from IGMCS areaS. • 9 hours (3 courses) from the different areas. • Students must take at least 3 hours (1 course) from each of the 2 non-home areas • Doctoral level: Requires15 hours (5 courses) from the pools. • At least 15 hours (5 courses) must be taken outside the student’s home area. • Students must take at least 3 hours (1 course) from each of the 2 non-home areas

7. Internship • Optional but strongly encouraged. • Students in the program can fulfill 3 hrs. of their requirement through an Internship with researchers outside the student’s major. • The internship may be taken offsite, e.g. ORNL, on campus (with a faculty member in another department), or in Industry. IGMCS students have interned at ORNL, Google, Microsoft & Intel. • Internships must have the approval of the IGMCS Program Committee.

8. Machinery of our little slice oftheBureaucracy Advisor and Liaison coordinate to tailor/adapt plan for student Student form shows the tailored process works Plan is agreed to Students execute/Plans can change Results are approved All relevant parties sign off when plan is completed

9. IGMCS Participating Departments

10. Program Administration • IGMCS Program Committee (6 to 8 people) • Subset of the Program Faculty • 1-2 representatives from each of the colleges involved • Renewable 2 year terms • Responsible for oversight: program requirements, approving courses and department programs, student course selection, etc. • IGMCS Faculty Liaisons • Any faculty member, assistant professor or above in rank, nominated by department head and approved by program committee • Responsible for updating course lists, working with department faculty, student advising student research, serving on student committees • Administrative Support • A fraction of a person from the Center for Information Technology Research

11. How it Started Chancellor says … Jack, I want a Computational Science Program! *Dec. 2004

12. Problem 1: Computational Science is not well defined intellectually This side is well understood: “In every department of physical science there is only so much science, properly so-called, as there is mathematics.” ~Immanuel Kant CISE disciplines are new, evolving, disruptive to traditional academic structures Established and familiar disciplines; sometimes controversial where they are becoming computational

13. Problem 2: Disciplines that are well defined have academic turf

14. February 2005: Initial discussion with a few departments May 2005: Solicited input from departments on “Certificate in Computational Science” June 2005: Draft material sent to all interested parties October 2005: First campus organizing meeting for a UTK Computational Science program November 2005: Graduate Dean suggests modeling after Stat’s minor: Intercollegiate Graduate Minor in Statistics (IGMS) December 2005: Group meets and agrees on some initial version of the plan February 2006: Second Group meeting March 2006 Subcommittee formed to provide plan Plan circulated and agreed on Dean of Graduate School approves plan April 2006: “Buy in” from many parties May 2006: Curriculum Committee of the Graduate Council approval Fall 2006: Added to 2007 graduate catalogue; other departments join. January 2007: IGMCS enrolls its first students How it grew Step 1: Achieve common understanding Step 2: Find a model people already understand

15. Some Current Stats • 30 students currently in the program • 2 new students: 1 PhD in CEE, 1 MS in INSC • 4 students received an IGMCS minor in summer 2012 • 3 PhD: Chemistry, Computer Science, Civil & Environmental Engineering, • 1 MS: Information Science • 26 total graduates: 17 PhD, 9 MS • Instrumental in 2 IGERT awards

16. Problem 3: Constant turnover of the technological base • Everybody knows that computing power is increasing exponentially • It’s now obvious that the observational basis of science --- the data--- is revolutionizing as well • The collaborative infrastructure of science is clearly being revolutionized • What is the role of the University in the age of Khan academy?

17. IGMCS life prospects • It currently lives on a minimum of resources • Volunteer efforts from IGMCS faculty participants • Fractional administrative support from CITR, i.e. Jack’s center • No core curriculum… but there could be, e.g. • Essentials of programming • “Software carpentry” • Managing the digital data life cycle • Domain X for non-domain X’ers • Considering a full-blown PhD program • Problem: Organizing for “Interdisciplnarity” means making the walls of the silos permeable