Advancing knowledge and practice wherever people interact with information and technology

On Tuesday, August 13, the University of California, Berkeley, announced that Jennifer Tour Chayes, Microsoft technical fellow and managing director for Microsoft Research in New England, New York, and Montreal, will become the university’s new Associate Provost for the Division of Data Science and Information and Dean of the School of Information. 

She will be the first permanent leader of the Division of Data Science and Information since it was established last fall and will begin her term on January 1, 2020. Dean of Undergraduate Studies Bob Jacobsen will serve as the current division’s interim dean and Head of School, Associate Dean, and Professor John Chuang will continue to lead the I School for the fall semester.

On June 30, 2019, at a celebration of tribute and transition, Dean Anno Saxenian was awarded the Berkeley Citation in a surprise announcement. The award is among the highest honors the campus bestows on its community.

“It would be difficult to overstate the influence that Anno has had on the school,” said Chancellor Christ, who presented the award. “She has shaped its offerings, hired many of its outstanding scholars, codified its purpose, expanded its influence, and, in all, ensured that it is a top-caliber, forward-looking institution that advances knowledge and practice wherever humans interact with information and technology.”

The event marked Saxenian’s final day as dean of the School of Information and looked forward to the transition of leadership to Professor John Chuang as Head of School.