The Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) celebrated its 10th anniversary by hosting the Workshop on Frontiers in Computational Science and Engineering alongside the 5th Annual Data Science Student Conference Aug. 18-20, 2025. Faculty, staff, students and alumni from MSU and other U.S. institutions gathered in MSU’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility to reflect on the past and discuss where CMSE is headed in the future.
“CMSE represents what commitment to a new idea can produce,” said John Papapolymerou, interim dean of the College of Engineering. “It has been an exciting decade of progress and discovery, and today, MSU is positioned at the forefront of computation helping society tackle some of its biggest challenges.”
Established in August 2015, CMSE united traditionally independent disciplines—algorithm design, high-performance computing, and applied science and engineering. Jointly administered by the College of Engineering and the College of Natural Science, it is the newest department for both. Its interdisciplinary structure allows researchers to develop solutions spanning multiple domains, with computation, once considered a supporting tool, as its central discipline.
“Ten years ago, a group of professors had a vision to create a hub for data science while collaborating with other units throughout the university,” said Eric Hegg, dean of the College of Natural Science. “They were absolutely right. The Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering has surpassed my expectations and set our university on a course to be leaders in this crucial field.”
Interim CMSE Chair Edward Brown said computational techniques are expanding beyond STEM fields and into areas such as education, social sciences and the humanities – anywhere large data sets are a factor.
“What’s coming down the road is artificial intelligence and machine learning, and that is moving at a very fast pace,” Brown said. “It’s intertwined itself into all areas of society. So, there are people developing computational techniques, and there are people who need to use them. The goal is to provide the socket that connects them—that’s us.”
Learn more about CMSE.
Written by Judi Melena Smelser
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page