Computer scientists in SAS receive Grossman Innovation Prize
Two School of Arts Sciences professors who developed an AI-driven course management system to accommodate the growth in data science education at Rutgers University have received the school’s 2024 Grossman Innovation Prize.
The prize, which provides financial support for faculty members developing research with commercial potential, will allow computer science professors Ananda Gunawardena and Tomasz Imielinski to expand their work and begin offering their system to organizations outside of Rutgers, including New Jersey community colleges.
Ananda Gunawardena“We are developing a scalable, affordable learning platform designed to make AI and data science education accessible to all,” said Gunawardena, who is leading the project.
The Grossman Prize, which is made possible through a gift from Rutgers alumnus Alan Grossman, allows researchers to advance their work to the proof-of-concept stage when they would be eligible for venture capital funding as well as spin-off as an independent business.
“We are pleased that this year’s Grossman Prize will support the efforts of two faculty members developing bold new approaches to educating students at Rutgers and beyond,” said SAS Executive Vice Dean Jim Masschaele in announcing the award. “We are deeply impressed with this project and its potential to develop a generative AI supported learning management system.”
The 2024 prize to Gunawardena and Imielinski serves notice of the growth of data science as an academic discipline. Rutgers last year approved two new bachelor’s degree programs in data science that are offered through SAS and which draw students from across Rutgers–New Brunswick.
At the same time, however, Gunawardena said it has become increasingly clear that conventional course management systems are not adequate for handling the intricate needs of data science classes, especially with enrollments climbing.
Gunawardena said typical systems lack capabilities for students to execute and submit code within assignments. In addition, current systems often lack cloud backup, have limited AI integration, and cumbersome file sharing capabilities.
Noting the need for a cloud-based system, Gunawardena said: “In data science, unless you practice what you learn in class, you are not learning anything. You have to solve the problem, and a typical problem involves large data sets that are gigabytes big.”
Over the last several years, Gunawardena and Imielinski have been working to address those shortcomings and integrate multiple capabilities into one system. Their work includes CodeBench, an AI-driven cloud-based system, and Data101 an approach to distribute material in the form of a digital textbook.
Some 1,500 Rutgers students are now enrolled in courses using CodeBench and Data101.
With support from the Grossman Prize, Gunawardena and Imielinski are building on those platforms, developing a single package that will be used in Rutgers classes and will also be offered to other organizations, including community colleges.
“Our research indicates that community colleges often lack the resources and AI-trained faculty necessary to develop comprehensive Data Science programs,” Gunawardena said. “By adopting CodeBench, these institutions can access a proven, ready-to-implement data science curriculum and toolkit, leveraging Rutgers' tested solutions.”
Alan Grossman, who has supported the Grossman Innovation Prize through a generous gift, received his bachelor’s degree in computer science with honors from Livingston College, Rutgers University, and went on to complete a master’s degree in computer science from Stevens Institute of Technology. He had a distinguished 25-year career in the telecommunications industry. He also helped create and fund the Alan H. Grossman Annual Scholarship, which since 2011 has provided financial support for up to three Rutgers students every academic year.
