Theory Center becomes part of Computing and Info Science

The Cornell Theory Center (CTC) has become a division of Cornell's Faculty of Computing and Information Science (CIS). Previously, CTC reported to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

The change was initiated after discussions among representatives from CTC, CIS, the Research Division and Provost Biddy Martin determined that greater interaction between CTC and CIS strengthens both programs and provides additional opportunities for collaboration and funding.

CIS is a "virtual college" that stretches across the university, a recognition of the fact that computing has become an essential part of almost every academic discipline. CIS faculty hold joint appointments in CIS and in some other field.

"We look forward to this more integrated approach to computational science and engineering and the opportunities that will arise from it," said Robert Constable, dean for computing and information science. "We're both keen on building stronger academic ties. We will use their Ph.D.s to teach credit courses on parallel computing, and will be building short courses and tools courses."

"Since 1984, CTC has been a pioneer in parallel computing," said CTC Director Thomas F. Coleman. "Our primary mission has always been to meet the computational science needs of the Cornell community. As a member of CIS, we will be well-positioned to facilitate more-efficient research, discover problem-solving approaches that are cutting edge, and support efforts to maximize data management and data analysis."

CTC's technical priorities and its support for Cornell's research community remain unchanged, as does its administrative structure. Its primary mission is to provide high-performance computing facilities to Cornell researchers, and to conduct research on high-performance computing. It also organizes a variety of outreach activities, providing resources to K-12 and college science teachers.