Decoding Vanderbilt’s New College of Connected Computing

Matthew Johnson-Roberson was interviewed by Ryan Underwood, BA'96.

In May 2025, Vanderbilt welcomed Matthew Johnson-Roberson as the inaugural dean of the College of Connected Computing-the university's first new college in more than 40 years. With a background spanning computer science and robotics, he brings a wealth of experience from Carnegie Mellon University, where he directed the globally renowned Robotics Institute; from the University of Michigan, where he launched the first robotics program; and as an entrepreneur who co-founded the autonomous delivery vehicle company Refraction AI. His research focuses on computer vision, deep learning and robotics applications in challenging environments. In this conversation with Vanderbilt Magazine, he discusses his vision for the college, the integration of AI across disciplines and why "connected computing" represents the future of technology education.

What inspired you to take on the challenge of building Vanderbilt's first new college in more than four decades?

First, Vanderbilt makes it easy for researchers and students to work across disciplines. That's incredibly rare in higher education. But what ultimately convinced me was the community-minded leadership at every level. People at Vanderbilt seem invested in positioning each other for success. That's incredibly refreshing.

Second, we're living through a revolution in how computing technology intersects with every aspect of our lives and work. Building this college gives Vanderbilt a unique opportunity to shape how these technological quantum leaps affect society, rather than just reacting to them. I couldn't pass up such an exciting challenge.

The term "connected computing" isn't commonly used at other universities. What does it mean, and why is it important for Vanderbilt's approach?

Traditional computer science departments often exist as islands, but our vision is fundamentally different. Computing expertise in areas like coding, AI, machine learning and software integration will reside in our college, but we'll make connections in almost every discipline. Vanderbilt is a perfect place for this approach. Our tightly knit campus includes world-class physicians, educators, engineers, musicians and economists-all within a five-minute walk of each other. In addition to now being the home of computer science, we have faculty with shared appointments in areas ranging from humanities to biology to education, creating deep connections that foster innovation.

"Building this college gives Vanderbilt a unique opportunity to shape how these technological quantum leaps affect society, rather than just reacting to them."

Artificial intelligence seems to be evolving at lightning speed. How will the college approach AI research and education?

We have a tremendous opportunity to connect AI technology to Vanderbilt's existing strengths. For example, our medical center provides real-world contexts for developing AI systems that can improve diagnosis and treatment, while our humanities departments help us explore the ethical dimensions of these technologies.

On the educational side, we're designing curricula that prepare students not just to use today's AI tools, but to create those for tomorrow using strong technical foundations and addressing bias, fairness and societal impact. We're also creating courses for students throughout the university to develop AI literacy.

Your background includes founding a robotics company and extensive work in autonomous vehicles. How will entrepreneurship factor into the college's mission?

Universities have a responsibility not just to generate knowledge, but to help channel that knowledge into solutions that benefit society. For our students and faculty to amplify their impact, we're designing programs that will help them identify opportunities, build viable products and navigate the challenges of launching technology ventures. Entrepreneurial thinking-identifying needs, developing solutions, adapting to feedback-is valuable in any career path, and these skills will serve our graduates well. We're also establishing partnerships with industry leaders to create real-world projects for our students and research opportunities for our faculty, ensuring relevance to current challenges.

Adding to that is our strategic location in Nashville-a city experiencing tremendous growth in the technology sector while maintaining strong connections to health care, music and other industries.

"Universities have a responsibility not just to generate knowledge, but to help channel that knowledge into solutions that benefit society."

As you look ahead to the next decade, what do you hope the College of Connected Computing will achieve?

We will welcome our first graduate students next fall and our first undergraduate class in 2027. But we are already on the path to becoming a global hub for interdisciplinary computing research and education, where students, faculty and partners come together to solve meaningful problems. We'll continue to build on Vanderbilt's reputation for pioneering research at the intersection of computing and other disciplines. I want our graduates to be thoughtful technologists who combine technical excellence with contextual understanding and ethical awareness. I also hope the college will be a trusted voice in national and global conversations about technology policy and ethics and will help navigate complex questions about privacy, security, bias and access.

The future of computing will be defined not just by technical innovation, but by how those innovations connect with human needs and values. I believe the College of Connected Computing can help shape that future in ways that benefit all of humanity.