UMD Hiring 40 Faculty Members for AI Institute

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Nov 14, 2024, 11:25 ET

Faculty expansion is one of the largest in university history

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland (UMD) today announced one of the largest faculty expansions in its history, with plans to hire 40 faculty in fields across its colleges and schools to help advance the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, education and leaders.

The new faculty members will support the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM), a collaborative hub launched last spring for research, offering innovative and experiential learning opportunities for students and focusing on responsible and ethical AI technology to advance the public good. UMD and its philanthropic and industry partners plan to invest more than $100 million in the institute over the next 10 years.

"Interdisciplinary collaboration is a hallmark of our institute, as we are dedicated to both the computer science side of AI and how the technology is studied and used in everything from the arts and education to journalism, business, engineering and social sciences like psychology, political science, and gender and women's studies," said Hal Daumé III, AIM director and a Volpi-Cupal Family Endowed Professor in the Department of Computer Science. "We are looking for faculty who will bring diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to our campus to help ensure we are considering this rapidly evolving field from every possible angle."

AIM will include new AI majors, AI certificates, graduate degrees, workforce development programs and a new high-performance computing cluster tailored for AI's complex computational challenges.

While their backgrounds will vary, new faculty members must have a strong research interest in one of AIM's four core areas: accessibility, sustainability, social justice and learning. They will join 100-plus faculty members who already study and teach AI at UMD, the nation's No. 5 public school for the discipline, according to U.S. News & World Report's influential 2025 "Best Colleges" guide.

"The University of Maryland and the state of Maryland are committed to responsibly advancing AI technology and preparing students from every field of study for a technology-rich world," said UMD Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice. "The addition of 40 new faculty members across disciplines further illustrates that commitment and positions our university as a global leader for cutting-edge AI education and research."

To learn more about AIM, visit aim.umd.edu.

About the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland (UMD) is the state's flagship university and a leading public research institution, propelled by a $1.3 billion joint research enterprise. Located four miles from Washington, D.C., the university is dedicated to addressing the grand challenges of our time and is the nation's first Do Good campus. It is driven by a diverse and proudly inclusive community of more than 50,000 fearless Terrapins. UMD is a top producer of Fulbright scholars and offers an unparalleled student experience with more than 300 academic programs, 25 living-learning programs and 400 study abroad programs. Spurred by a culture of innovation and creativity, UMD faculty are global leaders in their field and include Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and members of the national academies. For more information about the University of Maryland, visit umd.edu.

SOURCE University of Maryland