Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has appointed Jeffrey Bardzell as the Worcester, Mass.-based technological university’s new Peterson Family Dean of Arts and Sciences, heading up its computer science academic department and interdisciplinary programs in artificial intelligence (AI), among other areas.
Bardzell will start the new job on May 26. He will also lead academic departments focused on biology and biotechnology, chemistry and biochemistry, humanities and arts, mathematical sciences, physics, and social science and policy studies.
Other interdisciplinary programs under his wing will include environmental studies, interactive media and game development, financial mathematics, and robotics engineering “that reflect WPI’s distinctive integration of STEM with the arts and humanities,” the university said on March 24.
The new dean is coming to WPI from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he was vice provost for artificial intelligence and chief AI officer.
“I was drawn to WPI because, as a school that blends research excellence with experiential learning, it is well positioned to address disruptive issues facing higher education, including artificial intelligence,” Bardzell said.
“The school’s interdisciplinary work, grounded in innovation, human-centered thinking, ethics, and social responsibility, offers a blueprint for the future of work – and the future of impactful lives and careers,” he added.
“As dean, I hope to raise the visibility of WPI’s stunning capacity for interdisciplinary innovation,” Bardzell continued, adding, “Interdisciplinarity in the school’s research and teaching culture creates an agility that will allow us not just to meet, but to get out ahead of, the societal needs of our times.”
“Jeffrey Bardzell brings an exceptional combination of intellectual breadth, administrative experience, and strategic vision,” stated Andrew Sears, WPI’s senior vice president of academic affairs and provost.
“His leadership in advancing AI strategy, strengthening research identity, supporting faculty development, and aligning curriculum with workforce needs makes him uniquely qualified to lead Arts and Sciences at a time of profound change in higher education,” Sears said.
Separately, UNC said its provost office is working to identify an interim vice provost for artificial intelligence and chief AI officer to “continue Bardzell’s important work.”
