The School of Data Science was founded in 2019, positioning UVA as a global leader in advancing efforts to benefit society through teaching and research in the powerful, emerging field of data science. The first of its kind in the nation, the school is guided by common goals: to further discovery, share knowledge, and make a positive impact on society through collaborative, open, and responsible data science research and education.
A generous leadership gift establishing the school was made by the Charlottesville-based Quantitative Foundation. Founder and trustee of the foundation Jaffray Woodriff is a 1991 graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce.
New school, new spaceS
The School of Data Science’s vision of a school without walls is reflected in the design of its new building. Open, collaborate spaces transcend traditional boundaries and spark interdisciplinary connections between learners, researchers, and innovators.
The four-story, 60,000-square-foot facility at the entrance to the new Emmet-Ivy corridor includes adaptive classrooms, faculty, offices, meeting and research areas. Public spaces are open to the University and broader communities alike. A “data informed” building, it integrates sustainability, wellness, and space utilization. The groundbreaking for the school's new home was held in fall 2021, with classes opening for students in fall 2024.
A second building, pending approval by the Board of Visitors, is planned to be constructed beside the new home, thanks to an additional commitment made by the Quantitative Foundation.
This building will expand the school's research, scholarship, and teaching capabilities, while enhancing a budding entrepreneurial ecosystem on Grounds. The facility will be dedicated to supporting the shared goals of the Data Science school and the emerging University priorities in entrepreneurship. Flexible spaces will help meet the growing needs of the school, including its expanded focus on producing high-level academic research and strengthening UVA’s entrepreneurial culture, benefitting the University, our community, and the commonwealth.
