Stanley Ahalt was tapped to lead UNC’s new School of Data Science and Society. The school is planned to launch in the fall.

UNC described the School of Data Science and Society as “emblematic of Carolina’s collaborative culture and how faculty solve big problems through an interdisciplinary team-based approach.”

Ahalt serves as director of the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) which is a collaboration between UNC, North Carolina State University and Duke University. He previously spoke with 97.9 The Hill about how RENCI’s work using data to battle the opioid epidemic.

University leadership said that role has prepared Ahalt to be dean.

“As inaugural dean, Ahalt will recruit and retain distinguished faculty and staff, bring together varied expertise, empower innovation and promote collaboration that benefits the next generation of data science scholars,” UNC leadership said in a message to students.

Ahalt is a professor in the computer science department and serves as associate director of informatics and data science in the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute. He received a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Clemson University and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Additionally, he helped launch the Carolina Health Informatics Program within the UNC School of Information and Library Science and launched the National Consortium for Data Science – a public-private partnership supporting open-source data management software.

In its message to campus, UNC noted Ahalt had helped to secure $34.5 million in funding for data science grants to help the university be a leader in the industry.

“We believe that [his]  passion for using a team approach in applying data science to society’s greatest challenges makes him the ideal choice to be the head of our new School of Data Science and Society as we prepare to launch it this fall,” UNC leadership said.

 

Featured photo via UNC

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Chris Clemens Stepping Down in May
UNC provost and chief academic officer Chris Clemens will step down from his role on May 16, chancellor Lee Roberts announced Thursday afternoon. Clemens will return to his position as the Jaroslav Folda Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, a role he served before becoming provost in 2021. “For more than three years, Chris has […]
UNC Business School Dean Announces Resignation, Effective Monday
Doug Shackelford, the dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC, announced Friday he is resigning from the role. Shackelford made the announcement over a brief Zoom message shared to the school, saying he will step down effective Monday. The dean and UNC alumnus described that he was on vacation with his family and is […]
In a Challenging Time, Raul Reis Takes Over As UNC Journalism School Dean
Raul Reis, the new dean of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, discusses accreditation, journalistic principles, and more.
UNC Trustees Welcome Student Body President, New Deans as School Year Ends
The UNC Board of Trustees met for the final time of the 2021-22 academic year on Thursday morning and, as is typical for the last meeting before a summer break, celebrated this past year while celebrating new beginnings. The full board meeting at the Carolina Inn began with the addition of a new […]
UNC Names James W.C. White Next Dean for College of Arts and Sciences
After an extended search, and the official retirement of its current leader, the UNC College of Arts and Sciences has its newest dean. The university announced James W.C. White, a climate researcher, will lead the largest unit of Chapel Hill’s campus. White served as the acting dean at the University of Colorado’s College of Arts […]
UNC Plans to Launch School of Data Science and Society
UNC officials are preparing to launch a new school in the coming year, focused exclusively on the field of data science.
UNC School of Pharmacy's New Dean Begins Tenure
UNC’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy held a celebration on Tuesday to welcome its new dean to her job, as Angela Kashuba became the school’s eleventh dean. Kashuba was selected in May to take over as leader of the top pharmacy school in the nation. The permanent role had been vacant since Bob Blouin was hired as […]
UNC's R.J. Davis Signs Free Agent Contract with Los Angeles Lakers
R.J. Davis is headed out west. The former UNC All-American, who spent five memorable seasons in Chapel Hill, signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Lakers late Thursday night. RJ is headed to LA 📍 @ariidavis_ #CarolinaFamily | #ProHeels pic.twitter.com/pMxCwcDS9t — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) June 27, 2025 Davis is UNC’s all-time leader in both […]
UNC Men's Basketball Reveals Non-Conference Schedule for 2025-26 Season
The UNC men’s basketball program revealed the non-conference portion of its 2025-26 regular-season schedule Friday morning. 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule 🗓️ 🔗 https://t.co/VGOa7TbBKJ pic.twitter.com/UIl1YSS8DY — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) June 27, 2025 As usual, the Tar Heels will begin their season with an exhibition game at the Smith Center, as Division 2 foe Winston-Salem State visits October […]
UNC Finishes 4th in Learfield Directors' Cup Standings; Best Finish in 16 Years
UNC finished fourth in the final standings for the 2024-25 Learfield Directors’ Cup, which measures achievements across 19 different sports. The fourth-place finish is UNC’s best in the last 16 seasons. The Tar Heels accrued 1,195.25 points in the standings. The only schools ahead of UNC were No. 1 Texas (which won its fourth title […]
›