UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) is marking its 25th anniversary with a Penn State Berkey Creamery flavor sponsorship. “IST Celebrates 25 Years Death By Chocolate” is available for purchase in store and online now through Dec. 31. 

The renaming of the popular ice cream flavor — chocolate ice cream with chocolate flakes, fudge pieces and chocolate swirl — is part of the Creamery’s flavor sponsorship program, which started in 2022 as a way to support the Penn State community and local organizations. The flavor was selected through a college-wide vote.

“This sponsorship is just one way to highlight the many things we celebrate in this anniversary year,” said Andrea Tapia, interim dean of the College of IST. “Our expert faculty are changing the world with their interdisciplinary research while preparing students to solve the complex challenges of our digital world. And our alumni are leaders in the field — innovating, teaching and doing such great things.”

With five full-time faculty members and 105 students, the College of IST opened its doors on Aug. 25, 1999, as the School of Information Sciences and Technology. It was created as a new multidisciplinary approach that extended beyond computer science to equip students with both the technical knowledge of information technologies and an understanding of information system concepts. An emphasis on building strong communication skills and learning how to collaborate to solve real-world problems prepares graduates for careers in fields ranging from health care and finance to homeland security and entertainment.

The school, renamed the College of Information Sciences in Technology in 2006, has stayed true to its founding mission while keeping pace with rapidly evolving information and digital technologies. With four core research areas — data sciences and artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, privacy and security, and social and organizational informatics — IST now has more than 80 faculty and more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students.

“These are exciting times for our college,” Tapia said. “Technology is becoming embedded in all aspects of the human experience, and IST is a key player in defining the Information Age. I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years will bring.”