School of Computer and Data Sciences

two female students on laptops in a campus cafe

 

The University of Oregon's new School of Computer and Data Sciences opened in fall 2023. The school combines the university’s established and growing strength in computer science with its five-year investment in data science­. The new school, housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, offers courses to all UO students and is a home to research and experiential education activities.

Read the Announcement

 SCDS Sends 150 Graduates into the Future

To the 150 graduates of the School of Computer and Data Sciences Class of 2024, we celebrate your many accomplishments in reaching this milestone. Whether you choose to follow a career path in industry, pursue research opportunities, or begin working toward your next degree, may the spirit of discovery inspire all of your next pursuits. Off you go, Ducks!
39
Data Science, BS
92
Computer Science & MaCS, BS
10
Computer Science, MS
9
Computer Science, PhD

 Battling to Learn

Saghar Salehi

Saghar Salehi

Computer Science Major

"We were girls, we were doing science, we were building robots.” College of Arts and Sciences computer science student Saghar Salehi has vivid memories of the work she and her fellow “dreamers” were pursuing at school in Afghanistan. “We were all about proving that the world of engineering and computer science was not the exclusive domain of boys.” 

Read Saghar's story on CAS Connection 

230
Data science majors
650
computer science majors
1,750
students served across campus annually
SCDS_Interdisciplinary Specializations

Computer Science Interdisciplinary Specializations

We are home to state-of-the-art research in natural language processing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. We offer students and faculty a close-knit community in which to learn, discover, and innovate in a shared quest for solutions to a spectrum of challenging problems that stretch across campus:

SCDS_UG program domains

Data Science Undergraduate Program Domains

Data science undergraduate students can choose from a variety of domain areas from across the university. Domain specialization provides students with the opportunity to apply core data science knowledge and skills to an area of interest, including:

Undergraduate Program

2024 Grad Spotlights 

Fedi Aniefuna

Fedi Aniefua

Mathematics and Computer Science Major

Fedi Aniefua will be heading to Seattle soon after his Spring 2024 graduation—he just landed a job as a software developer for Amazon. But before leaving Eugene, this MaCS major (and anime aficionado) would like to give credit to those who helped take him the distance. 

Read Fedi's story

Kyle Humbert, Alumni student in Data Science

Kyle Humbert

Data Science & Accounting Dual Major, Accounting Analytics Domain

When Kyle Humbert began his college career, he was studying accounting but was eager to integrate his programming skills. UO’s data science program, with an emphasis in accounting, was a perfect fit. For Kyle, data science opens doors for dynamic career possibilities.

Read Kyle's Story

Ducks Take Flight

Liz Olson '17

Computer Science Major

Since graduating in Computer Science from UO in 2017, Liz Olson has held a steady focus on the study of robotics. More specifically, she’s been researching perception in robotics or, how robots learn from sensory data—how they perceive, comprehend and reason. 

Now, having almost completed her PhD at the University of Michigan, Olson has set her sights on academia and industry to continue her research.

Read Liz's Story

Liz Olson, CS Alumni student
student posing in front of multiple screens displaying code

Lindsey Uribe '23

Data Science Major, Biology Domain, Mathematics Minor

Lindsey Uribe was interested in data science long before she knew it was a viable career option. She had always found working with numbers to be satisfying. But she also had an interest in biology. When she began looking for an academic program that might combine the two, she found a match with UO’s Data Science program. 

Lindsey graduated in 2023 with a data science degree and a minor in mathematics. She then secured a full-time position as a data scientist with Dexcom, the company where she had interned.

Read Lindsey's Story

Impactful Faculty Research 

Rori Rohlfs

Rori Rohlfs

Associate Professor of Data Science

Rori Rohlfs, the first tenure-track faculty member in the new Department of Data Science, has built her reputation at the intersection of biology and computer science. She comes to UO with deep data science experience and a passion for its application to social justice.

"There's no avoiding social context when we’re doing science,” she says. "It’s clear in the questions we ask and our approaches to those questions, who we include on our scientific teams, what assumptions we make, and what assumptions we examine. How data science informs social justice is integral to this discussion.”

Read the Story

 

Brittany Erickson

Brittany Erickson

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Assistant Professor Brittany Erickson, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, had her first encounter with an earthquake in 1989. She was an 8-year-old, playing outside when Loma Prieta violently shook California’s Central Coast at a magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX. The event was terrifying and memorable.  

Fast forward to 2024 and Erickson now holds a joint position in the UO Computer Science and Earth Sciences departments, using computational mathematics and machine learning to address outstanding questions in earthquake science.

Read the Story

313
grants submitted in last 5 years
153
grants funded in last 5 years
$24,000,000+
total amount funded in last 5 years

Research & News Stories

COMPUTER SCIENCE - At NW Cyber Camp, a free weeklong summer camp hosted by the University of Oregon Department of Computer Science, high school students learn some of the same skills cyber criminals use to hack into computer networks—but unlike illegal hackers, they’re using their abilities for good. Now in its second year at UO, the camp draws high school students from Eugene and beyond to campus for a week of experiential learning activities.
Four University of Oregon researchers have received the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty members in the past year. Of the winners is Brittany Erickson, assistant professor of computer science and earth sciences, who studies why some faults slip suddenly and cause big earthquakes, while others move steadily or produce smaller, more frequent tremors.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE - Professor Hank Childs has been named interim executive director of the School of Computer and Data Sciences, succeeding Joe Sventek, who is retiring. Childs is a Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE - With the largest tech market in the world, the U.S. is projected to have approximately 377,500 competitive job openings each year for the next decade. Keeping students who will graduate from the School of Computer and Data Sciences connected with the industry and its key players opens a door to this expansive job market.
COMPUTER SCIENCE - Assistant Professor Brittany Erickson, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, had her first encounter with an earthquake in 1989. She was an 8-year-old, playing outside when Loma Prieta violently shook California’s Central Coast at a magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX. The event was terrifying and memorable.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE - Artificial intelligence can predict disasters and detect fine art forgeries. But can it help students learn what they need to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace—and at what cost?
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