McDaniel receives $2 million for Mathematics and Computer Science department

McDaniel College has been awarded $2 million through the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), a state program created to spur basic and applied research in scientific and technical fields at colleges and universities. 

The funding will be used to establish an Endowed Professorship in Computational Innovation and Emerging Technologies in the college’s Mathematics and Computer Science department.

Provost Flavius R.W. Lilly said, “Thanks to these funds, we will have the opportunity to expand our Computer Science program. We look forward to beginning the search for a new faculty member who will bring valuable IT industry experience along with a strong commitment to real-world applications.”

The new professor will integrate experiential learning and industry collaboration into McDaniel’s Mathematics and Computer Science department curriculum while developing coursework focused on emerging technologies. In addition to overseeing student-led research and entrepreneurship projects, the professor will build partnerships with Maryland tech companies to help meet the evolving needs of employers.

The program is administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, which joined with six Maryland colleges and universities, including McDaniel, in endowing more than $23 million to fund new research professorships. Institutions are required to raise matching grants with $11.7 million in total raised in private funding by the six schools; Maryland Commerce approved matching grants of $11.45 million to support the endowments.

Created by the General Assembly during the 2014 legislative session, the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund has provided more than $98 million in funding to leverage more than $108 million in private donations. The funding can be used to pay salaries of newly endowed department chairs, staff, and support personnel in designated scientific and technical fields of study; fund related research fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students; and purchase lab equipment and other basic infrastructure and equipment.