ITP At 40 – USC Viterbi

ITP Director Jeffrey Miller (centre, in suit and tie) surrounded by faculty associates (Photograph/Courtesy of ITP)

For the past four many years, the USC Viterbi Faculty of Engineering’s Information Know-how Method (ITP) has made available students useful, hands-on expertise with the most current programming languages and applications insights into technology’s increasing affect and improved challenge-fixing skills. Thousands of Trojans have taken classes in computer system programming, data science and other topics considering the fact that the program’s inception. In the method, they have acquired expertise that have far better ready them for an progressively large-tech globe.

About the a long time, ITP has developed in recognition and stature to such an extent that the software now boasts USC’s most well-liked insignificant, used analytics. It educates about 4,000 one of a kind learners every year, or approximately 20% of the undergraduate inhabitants at USC.

“We have amazing college and staff members that set all of this into movement,” said ITP Director Jeffrey Miller, B.S. CECS ’02 M.S. CS ’02 Ph.D. CS ’07.

To rejoice the program’s 40th anniversary, ITP threw a get together for by itself on Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23 at Alumni Park. Learners congregated for lunch and discussion and to learn about ITP, which, Miller said, is stronger than ever. About 1,000 college students from departments around the college came out to rejoice, with quite a few intrigued in declaring ITP minors.

The celebration showcased online games, prizes, food stuff, and socializing. USC Viterbi Dean Yannis Yortsos and Timothy Pinkston, USC Viterbi vice dean for college affairs, took section in the festivities, reinforcing the important function ITP does for the entire college.

USC students chill out at the ITP 40th anniversary celebration (Image/Courtesy of ITP)

Ten decades in the past, ITP made available 35 lessons currently it has 93. Equally, a 10 years back, the program showcased 5 minors, although it now delivers 15, together with used computer stability, mobile application growth and blockchain. This fall, artificial intelligence programs, and law and engineering will develop into the 16th and 17th minors.

Eighty-six % of students in ITP occur from exterior USC Viterbi.

“ITP is absolutely composed of training faculty, so we’re not driven primarily based on research bucks, but centered on the fascination of the school and what we see altering in industry,” Miller stated. “We’re also extremely practical and not theoretical, like most departments at the college are.”

Like lots of present-day and former ITP learners, Hannah Chong claimed she benefited significantly from the program’s emphasis on serious-entire world, palms-on discovering. A 2020 community relations graduate from the USC Annenberg Faculty for Interaction and Journalism, Chong minored in laptop programming, getting five ITP lessons. She credits ITP with aiding her land a comprehensive-time place at IBM as a technical help member of the sales staff.

The task positing specified that IBM preferred another person with an engineering diploma. Having said that, Chong effectively argued that due to the fact of her personal computer programming background, she understands know-how and could effortlessly choose it up. “I really do not believe I’d have this task without the need of ITP,” she said.

USC students just take totally free ITP T-shirts at the program’s anniversary social gathering (Photograph/Courtesy of ITP)

Likewise, Jennah Motani, a USC Marshall Faculty of Small business significant minoring in applied analytics, claimed she believes her ability to recognize and leverage huge quantities of facts will make her a significantly additional eye-catching candidate to potential businesses.

“Analytics is a ability that you can utilize to many [fields], and it’s a excellent talent to have less than your belt, particularly in enterprise,” Motani stated. “I think the means to assess info is critical and is genuinely exactly where the potential is likely.”

Quite a few share that perception.

ITP’s used analytics has develop into USC’s most common minimal only 5 decades just after its development. About 550 college students now insignificant in it, with cinema coming in next, and company finance putting 3rd.

Miller, the ITP director, joined the college in 2013 right after six yrs as tenured computer system science faculty at the College of Alaska Anchorage. He assumed the ITP major place in 2019.

During, Miller said his overriding target has been to excite and teach as a lot of Trojans about technological innovation and its myriad purposes and prospects. “I arrived in and I inherited an amazing software in ITP, and we’ve continued to make it improved,” he claimed.

Published on April 15th, 2022

Last updated on April 15th, 2022