New Dean for a New School

Douglas “Doug” Schmidt ’84, M.A. ’86 has been named the inaugural dean of William & Mary’s School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics. He is an internationally recognized scholar with more than three decades of experience in academic and government leadership roles.

The new school — the university’s first in more than 50 years — will launch officially in fall 2025 and advance William & Mary’s efforts to prepare students for success in a data-driven world.

Schmidt, a renowned computer scientist, previously served as the director of Operational Test & Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Defense. Schmidt has also served on the faculty at Vanderbilt University for more than two decades, holding such positions as associate provost and co-director of the Data Science Institute. His most recent research focuses on prompt engineering techniques and prompt patterns that enhance large language models (LLMs) and generative augmented intelligence platforms.

Read more at magazine.wm.edu/new-dean-schmidt.