UCLA recruits first chief data and AI officer from JPL
The University of California, Los Angeles last week named Chris Mattmann as its first chief data and artificial intelligence officer.
In its press materials, the university claims the new role is only one of a few to be filled in universities in the U.S., and the first at a University of California campus. Mattmann, who’s spent 24 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, most recently served as the lab’s chief technology and innovation officer.
“I am honored to join UCLA,” Mattmann said in a press release. “My key priorities are to establish a robust governance framework related to AI and data and to foster campuswide collaboration around AI tools. This will ensure a commitment to ethical standards, leadership and collaboration around this exciting capability and help UCLA and the entire UC system create a future where AI benefits all members of our community.”
UCLA named Mattmann as universities everywhere content with the growing influence of AI on academic integrity and educational technologies used by faculty. In one recent national survey of higher education faculty, a majority reported belief that changes in the classroom were not “heading in the right direction.” Beyond instructional concerns, reports abound, too, of students using generative AI to cheat in their coursework.
At UCLA, Mattman is tasked with developing and implementing “a strategic roadmap for data and AI innovations,” according to the release.
“His leadership will enable the ethical deployment of AI technologies while enhancing UCLA’s capabilities in advanced data and analytics, fostering a culture of innovation and discovery that is aligned with the campus’s mission,” the release explains.
Mattman’s credits include co-creating an Apache Tika framework that was used by investigative reporters who uncovered the Panama Papers and authoring the book “Machine Learning With TensorFlow.” He holds a doctorate in computer science from the University of Southern California.
