Investing in Tomorrow’s Innovators

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The demand for professionals who can harness data and computing to drive discovery, inform decisions, and solve complex problems continues to grow across every sector. In response, the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) has increased its capacity to prepare data scientists, software engineers, and computing researchers who can apply technology ethically and in service to the common good. As industry demand for computing professionals continues to rise, student enthusiasm for computing has similarly surged over the past decade, prompting the college to grow from awarding fewer than 100 undergraduate degrees in 2010 to awarding more than 500 in 2025. This expansion—supported by donors and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—helps the college respond to both rising enrollment and the evolving demands of a technology-driven workforce. 

That support has been a cornerstone of Accelerate: The Campaign for UMass Amherst. Since the campaign began, donors have committed more than $7 million to scholarships for CICS students, advancing the campaign’s first of three priorities: revolutionizing access to education. Across campus, UMass Amherst has placed emphasis on raising scholarship funding to close the gap between the financial aid students receive and what their families can afford to pay. "The support I’ve received motivates me to continue giving back to my community and to the next generation of students in tech," said a senior informatics and data science major. "[Donor] support is helping me grow not only as a student and researcher but also as a community member and leader."

Scholarships, paired with inclusive programming, are also central to broadening participation in computing. Increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities entering the field is essential to the college’s mission. To further this mission, CICS has developed mentoring programs, an inclusive residential community for first-year undergraduates, and professional development opportunities that help students build confidence, find support networks, and persist to graduation. As the Accelerate campaign continues, ongoing investment in scholarships and student success at CICS will help UMass Amherst prepare the future computing workforce and ensure that graduates are ready to navigate the social, legal, political, and economic implications of rapidly evolving technology.

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2025–2026 issue of Significant Bits magazine.