UNT College of Information receives $1.2 million endowment to fund new data science professorship

Thursday, July 7, 2016 - 14:45
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DENTON (UNT), Texas – The University of North Texas College of Information has created an endowed professorship fund called The Reinburg Professorship in Data Sciences.
The fund is named after Jesse Reinburg who graduated with a bachelor's degree in library science in 1941. She passed away in September 2015, leaving an estimated $1.2 million to create a data science professorship in the Department of Library & Information Sciences.
"Jesse was the most wonderful woman you could imagine," said Sharon Coulborn, Reinburg's close friend. "She led quite an interesting life."
After graduating from UNT, Reinburg worked with the U.S. Intelligence Department decrypting messages during World War II. Her group intercepted and decoded the message that Japan was planning to bomb Pearl Harbor. She also worked with the U.S. State Department establishing and managing libraries all over the world. She later returned to Texas to work at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.
"She was very proud of the fact that she went to UNT and that she was one of the first women to graduate in library sciences," said Coulborn. "She always loved to learn, she loved adventure and she absolutely loved to travel. She was always very encouraging to other people." 
Reinburg's gift will give UNT students an advantage in the growing field of data science.
"The career path is extremely indemand right now," said Suliman Hawamdeh, chair of the Department of Library & Information Sciences. "Corporations need experts to break down the massive amounts of data they collect and turn it into easy to use information that benefits their business."

This will be the third endowed professorship in the Department of Library & Information Sciences. 

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