From Governors Drive
On most recent mornings, I start my day by walking through the new Computer Science Laboratories building. I pass students already deep in conversation, laptops open and coffee in hand. I hear laughter drifting from the undergraduate commons and the low hum of activity from labs where research teams are already at work. Every day, it feels less like a new building—and more like what it was always meant to become: a home.
I arrived at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at a moment of extraordinary momentum—and, if I’m honest, with a great deal to learn. Over the past semester, I have spent much of my time listening. It has been a year marked by meaningful milestones, including the college’s 10th anniversary and the recognition of our faculty’s and alumni’s global impact through the 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award. Amid all of this, I have heard stories about late nights at HackUMass, lifelong friendships forged over problem sets, and the professors who changed the trajectory of a life. What has struck me most is how often people speak not just about what they learned here, but about how deeply they felt they belonged.
That sense of belonging is something we take seriously. It guided the design of the Computer Science Laboratories building—from open commons and collaborative classrooms to shared study spaces and a makerspace that invites experimentation. This building was designed not just to house technology, but to support people and to reflect a shared belief that computing should ultimately serve human needs and communities.
Already, the building is shaping daily life. Students linger here. They form study groups, meet mentors, and test ideas. Faculty gather with colleagues across disciplines, sparking conversations that lead to new questions and new research. Alumni are beginning to return—to walk the halls, reconnect with professors, and meet the students who are now following in their footsteps.
The vision for this building—and the work that brought it to life—was well underway before I arrived. I am deeply grateful to former dean Laura Haas, to Prashant Shenoy, chair of the building committee, and to the many faculty, staff, and craftspeople who shaped this space from its earliest planning through completion. I also want to thank our IT, marketing, and events teams for their work on the "last mile" that transformed a construction project into a welcoming home for our community.
In Fall 2026, we will gather to celebrate the official ribbon cutting and open house, and I warmly invite you to join us. Come see the space, meet today’s students and faculty, and reconnect with a place that remains very much yours.
The doors of our new home are open. I hope you will walk through them with us.
Warm regards,
Keith Marzullo
Donna M. and Robert J. Manning Dean