Annual Report 2019-2020

LETTER FROM THE DEAN As I write this letter wrapping up the 2019-20 academic year, we remain in a global pandemic that has profoundly altered our lives. While many things have changed, some stayed the same: our CDM community worked hard, showed up for one another, and continued to advance their respective fields. A year that began like many others changed swiftly on March 11th when the University announced that spring classes would run remotely. By March 28th, the first day of spring quarter, we had moved 500 CDM courses online thanks to the diligent work of our faculty, staff, and instructional designers. But CDM’s work went beyond the (virtual) classroom. We mobilized our makerspaces to assist in the production of personal protective equipment for Illinois healthcare workers, participated in COVID-19 research initiatives, and were inspired by the innovative ways our student groups learned to network. You can read more about our response to the COVID-19 pandemic on pgs. 17-19. Throughout the year, our students were nationally recognized for their skills and creative work while our faculty were published dozens of times and screened their films at prestigious film festivals. We added a new undergraduate Industrial Design program, opened a second makerspace on the Lincoln Park Campus, and created new opportunities for Chicago youth. I am pleased to share with you the College of Computing and Digital Media’s (CDM) 2019-20 annual report, highlighting our collective accomplishments. David MillerDeanhttps://via.library.depaul.edu/cdmannual/1003/thumbnail.jp

Annual Report 2016-2017

The College of Computing and Digital Media has always prided itself on curriculum, creative work, and research that stays current with changes in our various fields of instruction. As we looked back on our 2016-17 academic year, the need to chronicle the breadth and excellence of this work became clear. We are pleased to share with you this annual report, our first, highlighting our accomplishments. Last year, we began offering three new graduate programs and two new certificate programs. We also planned six degree programs and three new certificate programs for implementation in the current academic year. CDM faculty were published more than 100 times, had their films screened more than 200 times, and participated in over two dozen exhibitions. Our students were recognized for their scholarly and creative work, and our alumni accomplished amazing things, from winning a Student Academy Award to receiving a Pulitzer. We are proud of all the work we have done together. One notable priority for us in 2016-17 was creating and strengthening relationships with industry—including expanding our footprint at Cinespace and developing the iD Lab—as well as with the community, through partnerships with the Chicago Housing Authority, Wabash Lights, and other nonprofit organizations. We look forward to continuing to provide innovative programs and spaces this academic year. Two areas in particular we’ve been watching closely are makerspaces and the “internet of things.” We’ve already made significant commitments to these areas through the creation of our 4,500 square foot makerspace, the Idea Realization Lab, and our new cyber-physical systems bachelor’s program and lab. We are excited to continue providing the opportunities, curriculum, and facilities to support our remarkable students. David MillerDean, College of Computing and Digital Mediahttps://via.library.depaul.edu/cdmannual/1000/thumbnail.jp

Annual Report 2020-2021

LETTER FROM THE DEAN As I write this letter during the beginning of the 2021–22 academic year, we have started to welcome the majority of our students to campus— many for the very first time, and some for the first time in a year and a half. It has been wonderful to be together, in-person, again. Four quarters of learning and working remotely was challenging, to be sure, but I have been consistently amazed by the resilience, innovation, and hard work of our students, faculty, and staff, even in the most difficult of circumstances. This annual report, covering the 2020–21 academic year—one that was entirely virtual—highlights many of those examples: from a second place national ranking by our Security Daemons team to hosting a blockbuster virtual screenwriting conference with top talent; from gaming grants helping us reach historically excluded youth to alumni successes across our three schools. Recently, I announced that, after 40 years at DePaul and 15 years as the Dean of CDM, I will be stepping down from the deanship at the end of the 2021–22 academic year. I began my tenure at DePaul in 1981 as an assistant professor, with the founding of the Department of Computer Science, joining seven faculty members who were leaving the mathematics department for this new venture. It has been amazing to watch our college grow during that time. We now have more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, over 22,000 college alumni, and a catalog of nationally ranked programs. And we plan to keep going. If there is anything I’ve learned at CDM, it’s that a lot can be accomplished in a year (as this report shows), and I’m committed to working hard and continuing the progress we’ve made together in 2021–22. David MillerDeanhttps://via.library.depaul.edu/cdmannual/1004/thumbnail.jp

Annual Report 2018-2019

LETTER FROM THE DEAN I am pleased to share with you the 2018-19 College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) annual report, highlighting the important work done by our faculty, students, and staff. We’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again: it was a big year. In 2018-19, programs across all three of our schools (Computing, Cinematic Arts, and Design) were ranked nationally. Our faculty were published in dozens of scholarly journals, screened their films over 100 times, and had their work exhibited globally. Student and alumni accomplishments included an Emmy nomination, a first place win in a Department of Energy competition, and features in trade publications--to name just a few. We worked to create new programs (including undergraduate and graduate comedy filmmaking programs in collaboration with The Second City) and continued our work in others (our NSF- funded Medical Informatics Experiences program celebrated its fifteenth year). Our makerspace, the Idea Realization Lab, clocked its 10,000th visit as we made plans to open a new IRL in Lincoln Park. And, we will continue to create the innovative programs and facilities that make us CDM. You can look forward to new programs like industrial design, and new labs that focus on everything from Internet of Things to design industry collaborations. I am proud of our CDM community, and I hope you feel that same sense of pride as you read through this report. David MillerDeanhttps://via.library.depaul.edu/cdmannual/1002/thumbnail.jp

Annual Report 2017-2018

LETTER FROM THE DEAN I am pleased to share with you the College of Computing and Digital Media’s (CDM) 2017-18 annual report, highlighting the many achievements across our community. It was a big year. We began offering five new programs (two bachelor’s, two master’s, and one PhD) across our three schools, in addition to several new certificate programs through our Institute for Professional Development. We built new, cutting-edge spaces to support these and other programs— most notably a 4,500 square-foot makerspace, a robotics and medical engineering lab, an augmented and virtual reality lab, and plans for a cyber-physical systems project lab. Our faculty continued to pursue their research and creative agendas, offering collaborative opportunities with students and partners. CDM students and alumni were celebrated for their many achievements— everything from leading the winning teams at the U.S. Cyber Challenge and Campus 1871 to showcasing their games at juried festivals and winning national screenwriting competitions. We encouraged greater research and teaching collaboration, both between our own schools and with units outside CDM. Design and Computing faculty are working together on an NSA grant for smart home devices that considers both software and interface/design, as well as a new grant-funded game lab. One Project Bluelight film team collaborated with The Theatre School and the School of Music while CDM and College of Science and Health faculty joined forces to research the links between traumatic brain injury, domestic violence, and deep games. It has been exciting and inspiring to witness the accomplishments of our innovative and dedicated community. We are proud to provide the space and resources for them to do their exceptional work. David MillerDean, College of Computing and Digital Mediahttps://via.library.depaul.edu/cdmannual/1001/thumbnail.jp