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 “The way the industry is moving, our students need experience
handling large datasets, bioinformatics, genomic information,
and data from remote sensors. Having a background in coding,
programming, and advanced statistics, will make them highly
sought-after in today’s market,” says David J. Miller,
undergraduate teaching coordinator for the new program and
professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Illinois.
The new degree, first of its kind in the country, expands the
list of blended CS + X degrees pioneered through the Department
of Computer Science at Illinois and featured in U.S. News &
World Report’s upcoming “Best Colleges of 2020” guidebook. CS +
Animal Sciences follows the CS + Crop Sciences program as the
second such degree to be offered in the College of Agricultural,
Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Miller says graduates could tackle nearly any large dataset or
big-picture problem in the animal sciences. This could include
data from remote sensors in large livestock herds, allowing
producers to detect and treat health problems in a timely
manner. Or analysis of genomic information, leading to breed
improvements in efficiency or disease resistance. “Our
imagination is our only limit, really,” he says.
Rod Johnson, department head for animal sciences, says, “The
animal sciences landscape is experiencing a digital
transformation. By creating this first-of-kind degree, we will
train the next generation of animal scientist able to address
intractable problems, whether it be by probing large production
data sets, or implementing sensor technology with machine
learning to enhance the health and wellbeing of farm animals and
pets.”
The degree will include lower- and upper-division courses in
computer sciences, mathematics, and statistics, as well as
courses in animal sciences that can be tailored to each
student’s career goals. Miller says although the degree will be
academically challenging, it can be completed in four years.
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“This program, along with our existing CS + Crop
Sciences degree, represents yet another way students can leverage
their ACES education to change the world. With their ability to
handle bigger datasets, students will solve bigger problems facing
industry, society, and the planet,” says Anna Ball, associate dean
for academic programs in the College of ACES.
“With CS + X, Illinois is at the forefront in
preparing students to create and use new computational tools to
better understand the world around us. We’re excited to partner with
the College of ACES on a second ground-breaking degree that will
open up incredible opportunities for Illinois students,” says Nancy
M. Amato, department head for computer science and Abel Bliss
Professor of Engineering. “These degrees, together with our
collaboration with ACES on the Center for Digital Agriculture, will
lay the groundwork for exciting new research advances at the
agriculture and technology interface.”
Elsa Gunter, director of undergraduate programs for the Department
of Computer Science, says, “There’s real potential to make an impact
with this new program. Graduates in CS + Animal Sciences will be
well-positioned to advance the state-of-the art in Animal Sciences
by applying computer science to animal health and behavior, food
production, nutrition, animal biology, and related environmental
concerns. In turn, those advances will further drive innovation in
Computer Science.”
Students transferring from community colleges and within the
University of Illinois can enter the program in fall of 2020. Miller
says the program will eventually enroll 15 students per year.
[Source: David Miller
News writer: Lauren Quinn]
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