Artificial intelligence has been around for decades. But now, it has people’s attention.

“It doesn’t surprise computer scientists as much as people might think it does,” said Jerry Fails, Boise State University’s computer science department chair. 

In fact, Boise State faculty saw the writing on the wall nearly a decade ago and proposed a doctorate in computing to the State Board of Education. It was approved in June 2016.

Today, that doctoral program has more than 80 students, and it’s part of a growing initiative at the School of Computing.  

This year, Boise State doubled down on artificial intelligence by introducing an AI science bachelor’s degree, and a new AI emphasis for the computing doctorate.

And Ira Burton, the school’s director, put the finishing touches on the new school intended to mediate collaboration between people with computing needs or ideas, and people with the computing expertise to fulfill them.

The appointment of three new associate directors marked a milestone in a journey that started in 2019 with a series of in-depth research papers exploring how a School of Computing could benefit Boise State.

Boise State faculty presented the concept to the State Board of Education, which approved it in 2022. 

In 2024, Burton, a Treasure Valley native and Boise State alumnus, was appointed its director, returning to the university after 28 years with Micron.

What is the School of Computing?

Burton calls it an umbrella over all of Boise State’s disciplines.

The computing doctorate was already fostering interdisciplinary research, and the School of Computing seeks to expand it.

“The idea is that every department, not just computer science, contributes to the idea of ‘computing,'” said Edoardo Serra, the computing doctorate program’s director.

So, what is computing? And why does it need a whole school?

When Boise State faculty initially proposed the computing doctorate program in 2015, it had three emphases students could choose from:

• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity
• Computational Science & Engineering

Computing is a broad term that covers hardware, the physical parts of computers, software, the programs that tell hardware what to do, as well as how computers impact society. If something relates to computers, it’s computing.

Computer science is a specialized discipline, focused on applying computational concepts to problems.

Cybersecurity, similarly, is a specialized discipline, different from computer science, and beneath the computing umbrella.

Burton understands that every discipline has a use for computing, but not always the knowledge to apply it.

His vision for the School of Computing is a one-stop-shop for students and faculty at the university to improve their understanding of computing and apply it in their field.

‘Computing’ is a broad word, so the school has a threefold mission defined by “pillars,” a concept Burton said is inspired by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pillars and directors 

Central to the School of Computing are its three pillars:

• Fundamental Computing: the actual study of computing,
• Computing in the Disciplines: applying computing to different real-world problems,
• Computing and Society: societal aspects of computing like education and ethical responsibilities.

Heading up each pillar is an associate director, hand-picked by Burton for their expertise in the realm of computing they’ll govern within the school.

Dazhi Yang directs the pillar of Computing and Society, leveraging expertise in the intersection of technology and education. She first came to Boise State 15 years ago after a postdoctoral research stint at Purdue University.

Serra directs the Fundamental Computing pillar. He came to Boise State a decade ago, and holds a doctorate in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Calabria in Italy. Serra helped build, and now directs, Boise State’s Computing doctorate program.

Jodi Mead directs the Computing in the Disciplines pillar. She has more than two decades of experience teaching mathematics for professionals to apply in their fields. Currently, she is a program manager for the National Science Foundation.

Mead is credited alongside Tim Andersen, a dean in the College of Engineering and Rich Stuppy, a current volunteer with the School of Computing who formerly worked for Kount, an AI-enabled identity and fraud protection company, with bringing forth the concept for a School of Computing around 2020.

Blue Turf Thinking

Fails said electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science recently converged with key breakthroughs, enabling modern artificial intelligence.

About 16% of American workers have now integrated AI into their work, according to the Pew Research Center.

“When I was in grad school, we talked about neural networks — and we were talking about maybe a hundred nodes, maybe a few layers,” said Fails. “Now you’re talking about millions of them.”

Neural networks are computational models that mimic the human brain’s neurons and synapses. ChatGPT, for example, uses a neural network.

He and Burton believe Boise State is uniquely positioned to carve out a territory in the computing space.

“Everyone has a football field, but everyone knows our blue turf,” said Burton about what sets Boise State apart from other institutions. 

Boise State, for one, defies national enrollment trends. 

“The university is connected with industry partners throughout the valley and state,” said Burton.

The university boasts a unique relationship with semiconductor manufacturing giant Micron, which has a symbiotic connection with Boise State’s material science and electrical engineering programs, funding the school and hiring numerous graduates. 

Burton himself went from Boise State to a nearly three-decade career with Micron.

Companies like Meta are building data centers, complexes that will help meet the demands of modern computing models, in the Treasure Valley.

Alongside the new degrees centered on artificial intelligence science, the university is heralding the School of Computing as part of “a string of major achievements as Boise State has launched several bold initiatives in artificial intelligence.”

“Boise State is always one of the most innovative universities in the nation,” Yang said. “With funding, the School of Computing is in a top position to continue leading innovations in the field of computing.”