University of Vermont
10/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/27/2024 22:35
Board Approves Formation of Vermont Complex Systems Institute
The University of Vermont Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Vermont Complex Systems Institute (VCSI) at its annual Fall meeting Friday at the Dudley H. Davis Center.
The proposed Institute reflects the evolution of the existing Vermont Complex Systems Center in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences to a university-wide institute reporting to the Office of the Vice President for Research.
The new institute structure will allow the group to better support UVM's research and teaching enterprise, serving as a central university resource for collaboration in computation, artificial intelligence, complex systems, open source, and network science research. The VCSI will drive workforce development and research capacity across Vermont in generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI) and high-performance computing, including doubling the number of K-12 educators certified to teach computer science in the state's classrooms. It will also supercharge the center's existing projects including the Lived Experiences Measured Using Rings Study (LEMURS) - an experiment in using cutting-edge biofeedback wearables to help incentivize healthy behaviors.
"We are excited to build new interdisciplinary partnerships rooted in data science, data visualization, open source, and the application of AI and machine learning to complex systems challenges of all kinds," said Institute Director Peter Dodds and Executive Director Alexa Woodward, who will lead the new institute as a team.
"This new institute will further harness the collective power of our research enterprise here at UVM," said Vice President for Research and Economic Development Kirk Dombrowski. "As the hub for some of the university's most vital exploration and discovery in the implementation of technology, the VCSI will play a key part in transformative new ways for UVM to advance its research and land grant missions."
The VCSI builds on decades of related research that began with a 2006 cluster hire of faculty with expertise in the application of computational data science to the study of complex systems. As the world becomes increasingly data-rich, computational methods have become a valuable tool for research across many disciplines.
With a rich history since of successful collaborations across departments and colleges, substantial research and workforce partnerships with the private sector, robust affiliated graduate programs, and a track record of federal, corporate and foundation funding, the Vermont Complex Systems Institute is poised to further catalyze computational research for UVM.
"The Institute's vision is to establish itself as a worldwide leader in the science and education of rich, data complex systems," said Acting Provost Linda Schadler. "As with many of our centers of research excellence, the VCSI will drive meaningful, long-term, collaborations with government, community, private sector, and academic partners that extend its impact far beyond the borders of our campus community."
The VCSI's work will be rooted largely in public-private partnerships such as the MassMutual Center of Excellence in Complex Systems and Data Science, and the National Science Foundation grant, "Harnessing the Data Revolution for Vermont: The Science of Online Corpora, Knowledge and Stories," - a $20M investment in Vermont research focused on large scale analysis of linguistic data.
The VCSI is also supported by the Vermont Advanced Computing Center, Vermont's largest supercomputer facility that has grown over the last five years through investment from UVM, the State of Vermont, and the National Science Foundation. By adding capacity for gen-AI work and building a specialized computational infrastructure for AI-designed "artificial life", UVM has been preparing a foundation for the kinds of advanced research that will be created by the VCSI.
"We know that the world of artificial intelligence represents a new frontier for universities, businesses and communities," said Dombrowski. "UVM is committed to taking a leading role. We have the faculty talent to make Vermont a destination for students interested in areas like generative artificial intelligence and computationally designed organisms. This new institute and our investment in the VACC will enable our faculty to lead the nation in this area."