IST History: The Creation of a Discipline
It began in 1997 with a visionary challenge from Penn State President Graham Spanier: How could the University address the enormous workforce gap in information technology and help government, industry, and society face the daunting technological and human challenges of tomorrow?
To answer these questions, Spanier appointed then-dean of the Graduate School, Rod Erickson, to lead an information sciences and technology strategic planning group. In one year, the fifteen-member group created the constructs of what would become the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), intended as a Commonwealth asset dedicated to building knowledge and skills for the Information Age.
Penn State’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved this plan and charged a team headed by then-Senior Associate Dean James Thomas of the Smeal College of Business with one goal: Admit students for fall semester 1999. The administrative team, along with a newly-created advisory board, conducted extensive research to build a curriculum that would employ innovative approaches in teaching and learning. In August 1999, the doors opened for the first IST students at Penn State locations statewide.
The school developed rapidly: research collaborations were formed, online courses created, more faculty members hired, graduate programs established, and a new building planned. In May 2003 baccalaureate degrees were conferred on Penn State’s first full graduating IST class.
“Our success was resting squarely on the shoulders of these first graduating students. If our industry partners hired them, then we had done our job,” said Thomas. The first class had a 98 percent placement rate, and placement rates consistently over 90 percent have been a source of IST pride with every graduating class ever since.
In November 2003, faculty and staff members began moving into the newly-built, state-of-the-art IST Building, an impressive Penn State landmark and a manifestation of the vision that had been articulated four years prior.
Because of its growth and maturation, the school was renamed a college by the Penn State Board of Trustees in January 2006 – a designation that signified IST’s importance within both the Penn State system and the Commonwealth.
President Spanier notes of the college: “It has become truly a Pennsylvania asset. We are producing wonderful graduates, many internship opportunities, and it is an important resource to business and government. We have delivered on our promise to Pennsylvania. Our graduates are prepared to hit the ground running.”
IST Milestones
Sept. 12, 1997: In his annual State-of-the-University Address, President Graham Spanier introduces "information science" as one of four new Penn State initiatives.
May 1998: A University strategic planning group calls for the creation of a new, University-wide School of Information Sciences and Technology.
Sept. 11, 1998: The Board of Trustees approves creation of the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) with the first class of students to be admitted in fall 1999.
May 14, 1999: James B. Thomas, senior associate dean of business, is named dean of IST.
Aug. 22, 1999: With 43 new courses and five faculty members, IST opens its doors to105 students at University Park and 428 total students at nineteen Penn State campuses across Pennsylvania.
Jan. 20, 2000: First meeting of the IST Advisory Board is held.
April 3, 2000: IST becomes part of the Research Collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the 2000 Computerworld Smithsonian Collection.
June 26, 2000: The first online course, IST 110, goes live.
May 15, 2001: At nine Penn State campuses, fifty-eight students formally receive their associate degrees in information sciences and technology—the first full class of two-year program graduates.
Aug. 21, 2001: The first twelve Ph.D. students in IST begin classes.
May 17, 2003: IST's first full class of baccalaureate-degree students graduate—300 seniors from across the state, 117 at University Park.
Sept. 2, 2003: IST continues to grow: Seven new faculty members join the ranks at University Park, the Ph.D. program numbers forty students, and eight students enroll in the new M.S. program.
Nov. 14, 2003: The IST Alumni Society becomes official.
April 23, 2004: The first IST Future Forum draws more than 500 students, alumni, faculty members, and industry representatives.
May 15, 2004: Of the 155 IST bachelor's students who graduate from University Park on this day, 85 percent already have full-time jobs at an average salary of $53,500.
Sept. 3, 2004: Dell founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell takes part in IST's "Year of Celebration" at University Park.
September 28-30, 2005: IST is host to the First Conference of the i–School Community at University Park. This field-defining event is attended by nearly 300 faculty members, graduate students, and administrators from twenty-five universities from across the U.S. and abroad.
January 20, 2006: IST becomes the College of Information Sciences and Technology by decision of the Penn State Board of Trustees.
June 30, 2006: James Thomas steps down as IST dean to become dean of Penn State's Smeal College of Business.
July 1, 2006: Henry C. “Hank” Foley, Penn State associate vice president for research and director of strategic initiatives, becomes interim dean of IST.
November 2, 2006: Henry Foley is appointed dean of IST.
January 2008: The IST-based research initiative in network-centric cognition and information fusion is granted "center" status by Penn State.
June 2008: The College of IST is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance by the U.S. National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
June 2009: IST professors Dave Hall and Peng Liu are awarded Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grants from the Army Research Office for $1.2 million and $6.25 million, respectively.
July 2009: The College of IST launches a new bachelor of arts degree in information sciences and technology and a new master of professional studies degree in information sciences.
To answer these questions, Spanier appointed then-dean of the Graduate School, Rod Erickson, to lead an information sciences and technology strategic planning group. In one year, the fifteen-member group created the constructs of what would become the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), intended as a Commonwealth asset dedicated to building knowledge and skills for the Information Age.
Penn State’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved this plan and charged a team headed by then-Senior Associate Dean James Thomas of the Smeal College of Business with one goal: Admit students for fall semester 1999. The administrative team, along with a newly-created advisory board, conducted extensive research to build a curriculum that would employ innovative approaches in teaching and learning. In August 1999, the doors opened for the first IST students at Penn State locations statewide.
The school developed rapidly: research collaborations were formed, online courses created, more faculty members hired, graduate programs established, and a new building planned. In May 2003 baccalaureate degrees were conferred on Penn State’s first full graduating IST class.
“Our success was resting squarely on the shoulders of these first graduating students. If our industry partners hired them, then we had done our job,” said Thomas. The first class had a 98 percent placement rate, and placement rates consistently over 90 percent have been a source of IST pride with every graduating class ever since.
In November 2003, faculty and staff members began moving into the newly-built, state-of-the-art IST Building, an impressive Penn State landmark and a manifestation of the vision that had been articulated four years prior.
Because of its growth and maturation, the school was renamed a college by the Penn State Board of Trustees in January 2006 – a designation that signified IST’s importance within both the Penn State system and the Commonwealth.
President Spanier notes of the college: “It has become truly a Pennsylvania asset. We are producing wonderful graduates, many internship opportunities, and it is an important resource to business and government. We have delivered on our promise to Pennsylvania. Our graduates are prepared to hit the ground running.”
IST Milestones
Sept. 12, 1997: In his annual State-of-the-University Address, President Graham Spanier introduces "information science" as one of four new Penn State initiatives.
May 1998: A University strategic planning group calls for the creation of a new, University-wide School of Information Sciences and Technology.
Sept. 11, 1998: The Board of Trustees approves creation of the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) with the first class of students to be admitted in fall 1999.
May 14, 1999: James B. Thomas, senior associate dean of business, is named dean of IST.
Aug. 22, 1999: With 43 new courses and five faculty members, IST opens its doors to105 students at University Park and 428 total students at nineteen Penn State campuses across Pennsylvania.
Jan. 20, 2000: First meeting of the IST Advisory Board is held.
April 3, 2000: IST becomes part of the Research Collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the 2000 Computerworld Smithsonian Collection.
June 26, 2000: The first online course, IST 110, goes live.
May 15, 2001: At nine Penn State campuses, fifty-eight students formally receive their associate degrees in information sciences and technology—the first full class of two-year program graduates.
Aug. 21, 2001: The first twelve Ph.D. students in IST begin classes.
May 17, 2003: IST's first full class of baccalaureate-degree students graduate—300 seniors from across the state, 117 at University Park.
Sept. 2, 2003: IST continues to grow: Seven new faculty members join the ranks at University Park, the Ph.D. program numbers forty students, and eight students enroll in the new M.S. program.
Nov. 14, 2003: The IST Alumni Society becomes official.
April 23, 2004: The first IST Future Forum draws more than 500 students, alumni, faculty members, and industry representatives.
May 15, 2004: Of the 155 IST bachelor's students who graduate from University Park on this day, 85 percent already have full-time jobs at an average salary of $53,500.
Sept. 3, 2004: Dell founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell takes part in IST's "Year of Celebration" at University Park.
September 28-30, 2005: IST is host to the First Conference of the i–School Community at University Park. This field-defining event is attended by nearly 300 faculty members, graduate students, and administrators from twenty-five universities from across the U.S. and abroad.
January 20, 2006: IST becomes the College of Information Sciences and Technology by decision of the Penn State Board of Trustees.
June 30, 2006: James Thomas steps down as IST dean to become dean of Penn State's Smeal College of Business.
July 1, 2006: Henry C. “Hank” Foley, Penn State associate vice president for research and director of strategic initiatives, becomes interim dean of IST.
November 2, 2006: Henry Foley is appointed dean of IST.
January 2008: The IST-based research initiative in network-centric cognition and information fusion is granted "center" status by Penn State.
June 2008: The College of IST is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance by the U.S. National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
June 2009: IST professors Dave Hall and Peng Liu are awarded Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grants from the Army Research Office for $1.2 million and $6.25 million, respectively.
July 2009: The College of IST launches a new bachelor of arts degree in information sciences and technology and a new master of professional studies degree in information sciences.
