Virginia Tech’s Academy of Data Science begins a new era
New leadership takes over the academy and managing a new master’s degree in data science.
Eric de Sturler, director of the Academy of Data Science
Five years after its launch, Virginia Tech’s Academy of Data Science is growing — not only with new leadership at the helm, but also managing a new degree program housed within the College of Science.
Eric de Sturler has been named director of the Academy of Data Science, following in the footsteps of the founding director, Tom Woteki, who retired at the end of May.
Jennifer Van Mullekom will serve as the academy’s associate director and program director for the new Master of Science in data science, while Lizette Zietsman will serve as the interim computational modeling and data analytics program director.
“These leadership changes reflect our ambitious plans for the Academy of Data Science,” said Kevin Pitts, dean of the college. “Employers around the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation are yearning for more hands-on data scientists, and these programs will fill those needs.”
A mathematics professor and former department chair, de Sturler has an extensive research background, particularly in the areas of computational numerical analysis and related applications. Backed by his expertise, de Sturler will generate ideas to further elevate the research profile of the Academy of Data Science.
Van Mullekom, a professor of practice in the Department of Statistics, joins the Academy of Data Science after serving as the director of Virginia Tech’s Statistical Applications and Innovation Group. Her new role is critical for the academy’s continued growth, as she sets the course for the college’s new master’s degree, which was developed to help meet the demand for professionals who can extract meaningful information from vast amounts of data.
The master's degree in data science will teach students to design, organize, and execute data science projects to answer data-driven questions and is initially being offered as a 4+1 accelerated degree. In this format, Virginia Tech students begin taking graduate courses during their final undergraduate years, enabling them to finish their master’s degrees in just one year after earning their bachelor’s degrees.
In addition to helping the Blacksburg-based master’s program grow, Van Mullekom has been tasked with creating a plan to offer the degree in the greater Washington, D.C., area as well, enabling the Academy of Data Science to reach a different demographic of potential students.
Meanwhile, Zietsman, a mathematics professor, is quite familiar with the inner workings of the Academy of Data Science, previously serving as the associate director of both the academy and the Computational Modeling and Data Analytics program. She is the temporary replacement for Mark Embree, the longtime computational modeling and data analytics director who helped launch the bachelor's degree in data science in 2015.
