Zietsman announced as director of the Computational Modeling and Data Analytics program
Lizette Zietsman. Photo by Liz McNeil for Virginia Tech.
Eric de Sturler, the director of the Academy of Data Science, recently announced that Lizette Zietsman has been named to the positions of director of the Computational Modeling and Data Analytics (CMDA) program and associate director of the Academy of Data Science (ADS).
“I am thrilled that Dr. Zietsman has decided to remain as the CMDA program director and associate director for the Academy of Data Science,” said de Sturler. “With her previous positions within ADS, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will be beneficial to the Academy as we continue to grow.”
Previously the associate director of the CMDA program, Zietsman has served as the interim CMDA director since July, following in the footsteps of Mark Embree, the longtime CMDA director who helped launch the undergraduate data science degree in 2015.
A mathematics professor, Zietsman also held the role of associate director in the Academy of Data Science during the tenure of founding director Tom Woteki, helping develop a new master’s degree in data science, which launched this fall with a 4+1 accelerated option for Virginia Tech undergraduates. Two additional degree options — a full-time residential option in Blacksburg and a part-time hybrid option in Northern Virginia — will be offered starting in Fall 2026.
