Beth Plale is a visionary leader with more than 25 years of experience shaping the future of computer and data sciences. As Executive Director of the School of Computer and Data Sciences at the University of Oregon, she is driving a bold agenda at the intersection of technology, ethics, and interdisciplinary discovery and building the next generation of academic innovation. Before joining Oregon, Plale was a cornerstone of leadership at Indiana University Bloomington, where she held the prestigious Michael A. and Laurie Burns McRobbie Bicentennial Chair in Computer Engineering. There, she led with distinction as Chair of the Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering and as Executive Director of the Pervasive Technology Institute, guiding a major research enterprise and catalyzing collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and industries.
Dr. Plale’s postdoctoral studies were carried out at the Georgia Institute of Technology and PhD (computer science) is from the Watson School of Engineering at the State University of New York Binghamton. She led the task force in 2020 that developed the Luddy School Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence. Plale is a founder of the Research Data Alliance (RDA), a founder of the Center of Excellence for Women & Technology (CEWIT), a founding director of the HathiTrust Research Center, and an inaugural chair of the RDA Technical Advisory Board (TAB). She received the Early Career award from the Department of Energy (DOE).
The DONA Foundation
