Aikat, Jay

UNC Service

A Computer Science faculty member since 2011, Jay Aikat serves as the Chief Operating Officer of UNC’s Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), which develops and deploys data science research cyberinfrastructure.

She has:
* participated in several data science initiatives at UNC-CH since 2013,
* co-chaired the Data Science @ Carolina steering committee with Dean Gary Marchionini,
* served on on UNC's Faculty Council and the Community and Diversity Committee.

Aikat's association with Carolina began in 1996, as IT Director in two schools (Journalism and SILS), later as a 2010 Ph.D. in Computer Science, and as Computer Science faculty since 2011.

Candidate Statement

The COVID-19 pandemic presents us with unprecedented health, economical, research, and pedagogical challenges. Now more than ever, it is imperative to unite our collective minds to solve the complex issues facing Carolina. If elected to the Advisory Committee, I wish to learn and lead in the post-pandemic phase.

As an avid Tar Heel for 24 years, I have the knowledge and experience to help the UNC administration make informed, data-driven decisions. I bring to the Advisory Committee rich and varied experiences from my leadership roles, ranging from Carolina student to Computer Science faculty.

As co-chair of the campus wide Data Science Committee (2019-2020), and a participant on the 2019 Tar Heel Bus Tour, I learned first hand the power of faculty expertise and collaboration amid the rich diversity and complexity of Carolina.