Welcome from the Dean

Welcome to RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The college was founded in July of 2001 thanks to a generous gift from Mr. B. Thomas Golisano, positioning RIT to be a leader in the field of computing and information sciences. The college has a tradition of leading the way in the development of new and innovative computing degree programs. As the Dean of the Golisano College, it is my pleasure to welcome you, to highlight a few of the exciting things happening within the college, and to encourage you to learn more.

Computing technologies affect virtually every aspect of our lives in one way or another. As a result, we at the Golisano College believe that computing and information sciences will continue to change the world including the way that we work, play, communicate, socialize, in short - the way we live. Within the Golisano College, we seek to understand how computing can improve our lives and those of others as well as the effectiveness of organizations that rely on these technologies. We study the design of software systems and how people interact with information technologies. We study, design and build games and digital media experiences that are engaging, educational, and solve problems through simulation and interaction. We investigate new and better ways to secure, understand, and use the vast quantities of information that is produced every day as well as the cyberinfrastructure that is now so critical with regard to many aspects of how we live. While this is not a complete list, it gives you a sense of the range of issues faculty and students are addressing through the many projects that are underway within the Golisano College. These projects vary in focus, but one fundamental characteristic links them all - everything we do focuses on improving the lives of individuals and helping organizations be more efficient and productive through the safe and effective use of information technologies.

The faculty and staff of the college are dedicated to providing our students with an exceptional education. Our academic programs focus on providing students with a solid foundation on which they will be able to build their careers as well as practical experiences so they can make an immediate impact within companies after graduating. Co-ops provide opportunities to apply what they have learned in our classrooms and labs while helping students gain a better perspective on their own interests and possibilities for the future. As a result, co-op experiences provide RIT students with a unique perspective as they enter the workforce. At the same time, our faculty are engaged in a wide variety of research and scholarly activities from improving systems for disaster management and emergency response to working with the World Wide Web Consortium to accelerate the development of web technologies, the gamification of the college experience, developing an iPad App for the visually impaired, using eye tracking technologies that help train doctors looking over test results, and studying the use of computing systems to help detect flaws in the human heart. Faculty and students regularly present the results of their activities at conferences and workshops across the country and around the world. Most importantly, by engaging students in these activities, and bringing the lessons learned as they push the state-of-the-art to new limits into the classroom, we are able to enhance the educational experiences of all of our students. This strong foundation has lead to numerous alumni success stories. There are Golisano College alumni working at most of the leading information technology companies and in any number of industries around the world. We are proud to say that our alumni base includes many who are inventors, entrepreneurs, executives, and educators.

I encourage you to visit the college's web site periodically to learn about recent events, accomplishments, and upcoming activities. In the coming months, we are planning to make all of this easier by providing new ways to stay up-to-date with what is happening here at the Golisano College and new opportunities for you to reconnect with the college.

Finally, thanks for taking the time to catch up with the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Andrew L. Sears, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean

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