Director’s Welcome
Welcome to the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS) at Northern Arizona University.
Founded in 2016, SICCS is an interdisciplinary school; a synthetic hub of expertise and education in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and informatics (also called Data Science). Our faculty work together, and with researchers around the globe, on important problems requiring new, interdisciplinary collaborations. Starting in 2018 with our inclusion in the new College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences (CEIAS), SICCS is a the heart of NAU’s interdisciplinary STEM offerings.
SICCS and NAU are exceptional choices for an undergraduate educational experience that provides lifelong professional value. We pride ourselves on the quality of our undergraduate programs. Our graduates pursue rewarding careers at companies such as Intel, Raytheon, Micron, W.L. Gore, and government laboratories. Our Bachelor of Science in Informatics offers students a curriculum that integrates knowledge in computer science, statistics, and an area of natural science in a two-year undergraduate research experience. In the 21st century, informatics and computing is a core skill set for every educated professional.
Our graduate programs are tied closely to our growing research portfolio. Our faculty research is funded by many agencies and foundations, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and NASA. What we do ranges from the scale of nanometers to the solar system and beyond, with work on cybersecurity, smart buildings and cities, software design and engineering, high-performance computing, ecology and climate change, pathogens and infectious disease, UAV technology, remote sensing, and the discovery of planets in our galaxy that may support life. Launching in 2019, the National Science Foundation’s National Research Traineeship provides generous PhD fellowships for studies in the world-class “T3” PhD program option in Ecological and Environmental Informatics, creating a truly unique and exceptional opportunity for PhD training.
NAU is located in Flagstaff, Arizona—one of the most livable small cities and top rated college towns, in one of the most picturesque regions of the United States. We also benefit from rich collaborations with research institutes and centers. Our faculty work with researchers from NAU centers, including the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, the Center for Bioengineering Innovation, the Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, and the Center for Health Equities Research.
I invite you to browse the SICCS website to learn more about our school. Welcome to SICCS!
Ben Ruddell
Director and Associate Professor