In the rapidly changing world of technology, School of Information Studies Dean Andrew Sears knows it’s hard to predict how technology and the iSchool will evolve if you look too far into the future. But, he knows if you pay careful attention to what is happening in the field you can identify opportunities early enough to respond appropriately.
Sears has done this in the past, demonstrating the foresight to create the first undergraduate degree in the field of human-computer interaction and the first academic department focused on cybersecurity, and pushing for undergraduate education focused on artificial intelligence nearly four years ago. As a result, he sees plenty of opportunities in a school with a proud history, a great foundation and tremendous potential.
“One of the most exciting things about being the dean of the iSchool is that there are countless opportunities,” says Sears, who served as dean of the College of Information and Sciences and Technology at The Pennsylvania State University before beginning in his new role at Syracuse Aug. 1. “The topics we address have never been more important, and the importance of these topics continues to grow every year.”
In this Syracuse University News Q&A, Sears talks about his academic career, what he’s most excited about in his new role and an unexpected designation from a previous leadership post.
