Purdue Plans New Data Science Building

12-06-2019

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Board of Trustees voted Friday (Dec. 6) to approve the construction of a new $40 million facility dedicated to data science, designed to help the university meet its goal to be a national and global leader in the field of data science research and education for all students. The facility is slated to open for use in 2022.

The flagship four-story building will be approximately 86,000 square feet, featuring classroom and teaching space for all of campus alongside collaborative workspace for College of Science graduate researchers and faculty who form the core of the university’s strong and growing data science program.

"By bringing together Purdue’s research strengths in mathematics, statistics, and computer science within an innovative building design, we will further cement our leadership in a critical STEM area and fulfill our commitment to make Purdue the first school for which data science is a part of every student’s education, no matter their field of study," said Patrick Wolfe, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. "Data science is the new language of life, cutting across all disciplines and fields of research, and so it’s crucial that our students are prepared for this future."

In the next 10 years, it is projected, 1 trillion sensing devices worldwide will be connected to the internet. This explosive combination of ubiquitous sensors, rapid data transmission and low-cost storage, and the commoditization of on-demand computing has ushered in a revolution in data science. Announced in 2018, Purdue’s Integrative Data Science Initiative demonstrates the institution’s commitment to advancing data science research and fostering data literacy in its students, providing them the opportunity to learn about and participate in data science research across disciplines. A strategic institutional priority, Purdue’s degree programs across the data and computational sciences are poised to grow significantly, illustrating the university’s commitment to preparing its students for this emerging segment of the economy, both in research and industry.

"Data science and related fields will transform every sector of our economies and societies in the coming years and decades," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. "This facility will ensure that Purdue’s students and faculty alike remain at the forefront of this acutely important new field."

Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2020 with completion in June 2022.

Writer: Tim Doty, 765-496-2571, doty2@purdue.edu

Source: Patrick Wolfe, patrick@purdue.edu

Excerpted from the original article in Purdue Today.