Institute For Informatics And Applied Technology

As part of its strategic plan, Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA has established the Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology to spearhead partnerships with regional business and government agencies, as well as help Gonzaga lead in workforce development, economic growth, and national security in the areas of big data, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and computing.

As a national university located in the Inland Pacific Northwest, Gonzaga University is in a special position to both train workforce and help spur innovation in areas like advanced fabrication, utilities and civil infrastructure, healthcare, big data, supply chain management, information security, and regional or national security. As an exemplar Jesuit university, furthermore, Gonzaga has a unique purpose to bring ethical leadership and a mission of service to this work and those who are trained here.

Already, Gonzaga University has co-led a consortium of nearly 50 industry leaders, educational institutions, and state, local and tribal governments to be designated a "technology hub" by the Economic Development Administration of the US Department of Commerce. Gonzaga's consortium was one of just 32 out of 200 applicants in the competitive program created under the US CHIPS and Science Act.

Through the creation of this Institute, Gonzaga hopes to launch new degree programs, certificates, and executive education opportunities in software engineering, data sciences, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and bioinformatics. We seek to understand how complementary economic policies can create opportunity for struggling areas of the domestic labor force.

We seek to understand how big data and artificial intelligence can extract powerful insights in technology development, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. And we seek to understand the threats posed to national, individual, and private sector security due to information and resource theft or attacks in cyberspace. To support the institute, Gonzaga has launched a national search for the inaugural director, thanks to the foundational gift of the David and Cathleen Reisenauer family.

Additionally, Gonzaga seeks applications for a cluster of 12 tenure-track faculty at all ranks, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor to hold full-time joint appointments in both the Institute as well as one of Gonzaga's School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Business Administration, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Law, School of Leadership Studies, or School of Health Sciences. Applicants at all ranks are encouraged to apply in areas of computer science, cyber security, data sciences, information systems/sciences, applied mathematics, statistics, supply chain, ethics, leadership, law, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, entrepreneurship and economic development, and more.

Anticipated start date is Fall 2025.