The National Consortium for Data Science

DataBytes: Intro to NLP, LLMs and more - a Taste of Foundations of AI
2024-12-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
In this short session you’ll learn the basics of Natural Language Processing, starting with turning words and sentences into embeddings for use in deep learning tasks, as well as an intro to language models, large and otherwise. You’ll learn some hands-on tips and tricks for making sense of language data, and get a technical but beginner-friendly introduction to the wide world of AI with language.
Register for the Event

DataBytes: Navigating the Data Divide: Approaching Analytics Across Organizational Maturity Levels
2024-10-17 12:00 - 13:00
Organizations at varying levels of analytical maturity are increasingly seeking to optimize their data usage. This presentation, delivered by two experienced data scientists, will discuss how analytics can vary across different environments. The speakers will draw on their work with clients across the analytical maturity spectrum, highlighting their efforts to enhance analytically established organizations and develop capabilities in analytically emerging ones. They will examine a range of analytical methodologies and how these can either support or hinder organizational performance. This presentation will focus on how different organizations engage with analytics based on their maturity levels, outlining the specific opportunities and challenges each faces. The goal is to provide attendees with practical insights on how different organizations approach data analytics so that they can be prepared to make analytic contributions at any organization.
Register for the Event

2024 NCDS Fall Career Panel: Analyzing Data Science Careers
2024-10-09 17:00 - 18:00
You don’t want to miss these data science professionals provide insight into what it takes to capture the attention of top recruiters in data science and data analytics. Our panelists represent a variety of career stages and they are ready to discuss what it takes to set yourself apart as you launch your career search.
During our fall event, you’ll join panelists working in data and Al security, human movement analysis in research and clinical labs, and more as they explore the paths that lead to a career in data science. The journey looks different for everyone, but a dream job is the destination. We’ll discuss a few examples of what it takes to get there and dive into the hard and soft skills that make a top candidate the only candidate for a role in this competitive field.
Register for the Event

Foundations of AI: AI for Non-Coders
2024-09-26 13:00 - 17:00
Ever say to yourself: what even is an LLM? How do I get from chatting with ChatGPT to talking about larger AI products? How do I answer these nonstop questions from colleagues, customers, leadership and more in this new landscape?
Do you find yourself needing expertise on AI that, quite frankly, you didn’t sign up for?
This course is designed to meet the needs of people who are not necessarily well-versed in math and science but who know that they need to know the basics about AI in this changing landscape.
You’ll learn about what AI can accomplish, the intuitions behind how it works (no math or coding necessary!), and opportunities and risks. You’ll come away feeling confident that you know not only what an LLM actually is, but understand all the jargon people use to talk about it.
Register for the Course

Scholarship Information
NCDS is pleased to offer a limited number of full scholarships for faculty, staff and students at two-year and four-year institutions to attend the Foundations of AI: AI for Non Coders course on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET.
To apply for a full scholarship, submit your application via this form. DO NOT USE THE MAIN REGISTRATION FORM TO APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP.

Scaling Up: Developing a Coordinating Hub for Data Competency
2024-09-17 12:00 - 13:00
In this session, Dr. Crista Arangala will introduce Elon University’s Data Nexus. The Data Nexus initiative was created as part of a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan developed during its most recent accreditation process and serves as a coordinating hub for data competency initiatives at the university throughout the plan and beyond. In its first year, Data Nexus has been focused on assessing foundational technology and statistical competency of all of Elon University’s undergraduate students. Through Data Nexus, Elon University has also created a process for faculty across the institution to apply for courses to be designated as Data-Intensive and has introduced a new Micro-credential in Advanced Data Competency. Data Nexus also offers a variety of programming across campus including data camps, workshops, and data challenges. Data Nexus also offers grants to support faculty, staff, and student data-driven initiatives. In year two, Data Nexus will continue to develop curricular and co-curricular data-intensive experiences for the general Elon University undergraduate student body.
Register for the Event
About Dr. Crista Arangala
Dr. Crista Arangala is the Director of Elon University’s Data Nexus and Professor of Mathematics. The Data Nexus initiative was created as part of a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan developed during its most recent accreditation process and serves as a coordinating hub for data competency initiatives at the university throughout the plan and beyond. Dr. Arangala has a PhD in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters in Higher Education from Stony Brook University. She has been at Elon University in North Carolina for 24 years, researching in a variety of fields including inverse problems, applied partial differential equations, applied linear algebra, mathematical modeling, and service-learning education. Dr. Arangala has a special interest in inquirydiscovery learning and ran a traveling science museum with her Elon University students in Kerala, India for 9 years. Dr. Arangala was chosen to be a Fulbright Scholar in 2014 as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo where she continued her projects in inquiry learning in Linear Algebra and began working with a modeling team focusing on Dengue fever research. Dr. Arangala has published several textbooks that implores inquiry learning techniques including Exploring Linear Algebra: Labs and Projects with Matlab and Mathematical Modeling: Branching Beyond Calculus. Her latest text, Linear Algebra with Machine Learning and Data, connects her teaching interests of infusing data into the mathematical curriculum and her research interests in applied linear algebra.

Careers in Data Science: Measuring Social Impact at the Kennedy Center
2024-09-11 18:00 - 19:00
From liberal arts major to major impact
What do Musical Theater, Psychology, History, and Business Administration all have in common? These fields can all provide you with successful tools and experiences that can lead to valuable careers incorporating data science. In this session, Trés McMichael, Senior Program Manager for Social Impact Civic Alliances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will discuss his pathways from a liberal arts education to a non-profit professional who has incorporated research, evaluation, and data visualization as a tool to support arts, culture, and community change.
Register for the Event
About Trés McMichael
Trés McMichael is a joy-filled arts leader and performer who is passionate about community empowerment, arts education, and social justice. Originally from Baltimore, Trés is an alumnus of Elon University, where he graduated with degrees in Music Theatre (BFA) and Arts Administration (BA). He also holds an MFA in Arts Leadership and a certificate in Fundraising Leadership from Seattle University. While pursuing his graduate degree, he was named an EDI Research Fellow with the Association of Arts Administration Educators. He has worked with various nonprofit and arts organizations such as Arena Stage, DC Collaborative, and the NAACP. Through his work, Trés strives to do work that is in and with, not to or for, the communities he serves.

DataBytes: Data Viz, Chemistry, Art, and Public Health: Making Sense of Street Drugs
2024-08-29 12:00 - 13:00
At the Street Drug Analysis Lab, researchers analyze street drug samples from around the country and have detected about 300 unique chemical substances. But making sense of chemicals is a notorious challenge, with long names, esoteric molecules, and overlapping pharmacological properties. Therefore, the team created a flexible ontology that can adapt over time, and developed visualizations to bring order to the chaos. Using a type of chord diagram called hierarchical edge bundling (.js package), they conceptualized co-occurrence of substances in the drug supply based on 6,000 drug samples from 34 US states, showing connections between classes of molecules. Working with a local graphic designer, hand drawn illustrations highlight particularly dangerous combinations of substances and tell the story of where the samples came from.
Join team members Nabarun Dasgupta and Anuja Panthari at the intersection of chemistry, art, public health, and data science, as they describe how their project brings order to the unruly illicit drug supply. The key message: The drug supply is vast, but it is knowable.
Register for the Event
About the Speakers
Nabarun Dasgupta
Nabarun Dasgupta, PhD, MPH, is a scientist who studies drugs and infectious diseases. His passion is telling true stories about health with numbers. Centered in pharmaco-epidemiology, his work amplifies community and patient voices in public health. Since 2002 he has done pioneering work in pain management, opioid overdose prevention, and addiction treatment. He also has deep expertise in health informatics and machine learning. In 2023 he was honored by being placed on the TIME100 Next list of rising global leaders.
As an applied epidemiologist, Dasgupta has served as an advisor to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO). Operating with an appreciation for the social determinants and of health, he is committed to countering the impacts of racist drug policies. At UNC IPRC, he works at the Opioid Data Lab (OpioidData.org). His street drug analysis lab tests community-donated samples from around the country to figure out what lurks in the drug supply. Dasgupta co-founded two pioneering non-profit organizations. Project Lazarus in Wilkes County (North Carolina) was hailed by the Obama White House as a model for community-based overdose prevention. Remedy Alliance For The People is a groundbreaking national non-profit bulk distributor of free and low-cost naloxone to harm reduction programs. Previously he was the Chief Science Officer of Epidemico, a health informatics startup he co-founded using technology developed at Harvard Medical School. He is also an associate editor at the American Journal of Public Health.
Dasgupta earned degrees from Princeton University (molecular biology), Yale University (epidemiology of microbial diseases), and the University of North Carolina (pharmacoepidemiology). Follow him on Twitter (@nabarund).
Anuja Parathi
Anuja Panthari is an MPH Data Science candidate at UNC Gillings School of Public Health. She completed her BS in Cognitive Science and Statistics from UC Santa Cruz in 2022. Under the guidance of Dr. Dasgupta, she has been involved in harm reduction research at the Street Drug Analysis lab, assisting with multiple cutting-edge data analytics and visualization projects that will help communities demystify the street drug supply.

Data Matters 2024
2024-08-05 - 2024-08-09
Data Matters™ is a week-long series of one and two-day courses aimed at students and professionals in business, research, and government. The short course series is sponsored by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, the National Consortium for Data Science, and RENCI. Data Matters gives students the chance to learn about a wide range of topics in data science, analytics, visualization, curation, and more from expert instructors.
Registration is now open for the Data Matters series which will be held August 5 – 9, 2024. Register here.

DataBytes: Using GenAI to win STTR and SBIR Government Grants
2024-06-20 16:00 - 17:00
Through a competitive awards-based program, STTR and SBIR federal grants enable small businesses to explore their technological potential and open new opportunities to profit from its commercialization. However, it can be difficult for first-time applicants to get their foot in the door, between sorting through guidelines, requirements, and deadlines, and trying to locate successful examples. GrantScout is automating grant search, writing, and submission. The tool uses traditional deep learning methods and generative AI to unlock funding for everyone. Join GrantScout founders Felicia Chen and Jennifer Tang as they present how the government provides over two million grants for small businesses, the ways that their team fine-tunes their own models to create strong technical proposals, and lessons they’ve learned from past experiences that helped them build the platform.
Register for the Event

Foundations of AI: Intro to AI with Amy Hemmeter
2024-05-16 13:00 - 17:00
In this half-day course, you’ll learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI), starting with foundational concepts in machine learning and deep learning, then moving to the basics of Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision that got us to our current boom in Generative AI as demonstrated by GPT-3, DALL-E and other well-known tools. Learn how to train your own AI models, how to make the most of open-source and pre-trained models on the market, and how to stay ahead of the curve on technical improvements.
In this course you’ll learn:

Basics of deep learning with language data
How BERT and GPT work
What is Generative AI?
What is an LLM and how do I use it?
Basics of prompt tuning and prompt engineering
Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
Evaluating generative model performance

Register for the Course

DataBytes: Supporting AI Risk Management in the Analytics Lifecycle
2024-04-30 15:30 - 16:15 | via Zoom
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an AI Risk Management Framework for trustworthy and responsible use of AI and analytics. NIST offers a portfolio of measurements, standards, and legal metrology to provide recommendations that ensure traceability, enable quality assurance, and harmonize documentary standards and regulatory practices. Their framework is very detailed with recommendations across four functions: govern, map, measure, and manage. In this session, we’ll discuss incorporating these recommendations into the analytics lifecycle. Attendees to this session will gain a greater understanding of trustworthy AI best practices as well as user roles and expectations for building responsible analytics.
Join NCDS as Sophia Rowland, a Senior Product Manager focusing on ModelOps and MLOps at SAS, walks us through this important presentation.
Register for the Event

2024 NCDS Spring Career Panel: Analyzing Data Science Careers
2024-03-05 17:00 - 18:00 | via Zoom
2024 NCDS Spring Career Panel Analyzing Data Science Careers – Are you career ready?
You don’t want to miss these data science professionals who provide insight into what it takes to capture the attention of top recruiters in data science and data analytics. Our panelists represent a variety of career stages (a former high school teacher! a Practice Lead and Hollywood script consultant!) and they are ready to discuss what it takes to set yourself apart as you launch your career search.
Join us to learn more about:

What programming languages are in demand now
Unexpected ways to promote your experience
What experiences you should gain early in your career

Moderator: Wing Chan, Senior Vice President, Global Risk Management, Bank of America
Register for the Event
Panelists include:

Paige Spell | Data Scientist at Elder Research: Paige obtained a bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics at Appalachian State University along with minors in Biology, Statistics, and Computer Science. There, she discovered a passion for working with data to make a difference. Paige developed many technical skills but realized she was only scratching the surface. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in Analytics at NC State University, gaining practical experience in model explainability and using machine learning to analyze complex relational claims data. After graduation, Paige worked as a Data Scientist at Red Hat, Inc. forecasting company revenue and product consumption while engaging C-level executives, impacting prompt hiring decisions and influencing business growth. Looking for more diverse problems and a strong technical team, she decided to join Elder Research Inc almost two years ago.
Melinda Thielbar | Vice President of Data Science, Practice Lead at Fidelity Investments: Thielbar is a researcher and statistical software developer with over twenty years of industry experience. Her career ranges from statistics education to developing algorithms for commercial software to Hollywood script consulting. She co-founded Research Triangle Analysts, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit focused on education and training for people working in the analytics field in the Raleigh-Durham area. Thielbar currently works as a Practice Lead in Fidelity Investments’ Workplace Investing.
Rachini Moosavi | Chief Analytics Officer at UNC Health: Rachini Moosavi, MHA, is the Vice President of Enterprise Analytics at UNC Health. She is passionate about empowering people, delivering value, and improving lives. Over her nearly twenty-year career in healthcare, Rachini has served in analytics, clinical, operational, process improvement, and leadership roles. As a recent graduate of the Carnegie Mellon University CDataO Certificate program, Rachini continues to champion and lead data and analytics enablement within her Enterprise Analytics & Data Sciences team and across The Analytics Community at UNC Health, ensuring that healthcare transformation continues to be catalyzed by insights.
Adam Cottrell | Analytical Consultant at SAS : With more than a decade of experience as a high-performance athletics coach and public educator, Adam is eager to bring his passion for supporting others and a sharp understanding of team dynamics to the data science world. He is driven to understand all types of systems, from the human and societal to the physical and philosophical. This curiosity led him to earning a BS in Physics as well as a Masters in Secondary Science Teaching. As a rowing coach, he instructed athletes of all abilities, aged 12 to 70+, and oversaw the development of many nationally competitive collegiate crews. While coaching, he also worked in the public-school system in several roles across the K-12 spectrum. He hopes to leverage his backgrounds in science, education, and coaching to help bring meaningful insight to a world quickly growing in its need for intelligent, data-driven change.

DataBytes: Becoming A Data Detective - Holding AI Accountable
2024-02-22 12:00 - 13:00 | via Zoom
Bias and brittleness in artificial intelligence (Al) tools are a growing concern. Join Hilke Schellman, Emmy-award winning investigative reporter, Wall Street Journal and Guardian contributor and Journalism Professor at NYU, as she shares key takeaways from her book, The Algorithm: How Al Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now.
Al is now being used to decide who has access to an education, who gets hired, who gets fired, and who receives a promotion. Algorithms are on the brink of dominating our lives and threaten our human future-if we don’t fight back. During the webinar, Schellmann will share takeaways about the rise of Al in the world of work and show how she tested many of the available tools herself without coding experience.
During our time together, Hilke will share a few key takeaways from the book and answer questions from the audience. You don’t want to miss this.
Register for the Event

DataBytes: Causal AI: The Key to High-Stakes Decision Making
2023-12-05 16:00 - 17:00
The National Consortium for Data Science looks forward to welcoming back Christopher Lam, CEO of Epistamai on December 5th for our next DataBytes event as he discusses Causal AI: The Key to High-Stakes Decision Making.
There has been tremendous attention to the generative AI wave and its enormous potential to transform industries. But there is a hidden wave developing right behind it called causal AI.
Whereas generative AI is optimized for low-stakes decisions like chatbots and image generation, it is not designed to address issues like ethics or trustworthiness that are essential for using AI in high-stakes decisions like credit and hiring decisions. This is where causal AI fits into the picture.
Register for the Event
In this presentation, Christopher Lam will discuss how to use causal AI to build AI systems that society can trust for high-stakes decision making. Lam will show how causal AI can help bridge the gap between symbolic AI and machine learning, demonstrating the value of integrating human knowledge and reasoning about the world to improve how data is analyzed. He will demonstrate through a use case how this more human-centric approach to AI can be used to build fairer and more equitable AI systems that are aligned with society’s democratic values. Finally, he will describe a new causal hierarchy, one that integrates machine learning with causal inference and system dynamics.
There’s a fundamental weakness in how AI systems are being built today, which is due to an overreliance on machine learning and correlation. By strengthening the foundations of AI with causality, we can get a step closer towards developing a grand unified theory of AI. Such a theory is essential for building artificial general intelligence.

About the Speaker – Christopher Lam
Christopher Lam is the founder and CEO of Epistamai, an AI research company based in the Research Triangle that is focused on understanding AI ethics through the lens of causality. The inspiration for his startup came from his work at the Federal Reserve, where he did research on algorithmic bias in credit decisions. He is an evangelist for the emerging field of causal data science, which could help us to solve intractable problems in data science today.

2023 NCDS Fall Career Panel Analyzing Data Science Careers
2023-10-17 17:00 - 18:30
2023 NCDS Fall Career Panel Analyzing Data Science Careers – Are you career ready?
You don’t want to miss these data science professionals who provide insight into what it takes to capture the attention of top recruiters in data science and data analytics. Our panelists represent a variety of career stages and they are ready to discuss what it takes to set yourself apart as you launch your career search.
Join us to learn more about:

What programming languages are in demand now,
Unexpected ways to promote your experience
What experiences you should gain early in your career

Moderator: Dr. Deborah Strohman
Register for the Event
Join the NCDS Talent Pool
Speakers include:

Peter Baquero | Director of AI and Machine Learning at AlixPartners : Peter Baquero is a leader and subject matter expert in the areas of analytics, data management, and data science. He has more than 15 years of experience working both in industry and as a consultant who helps Fortune 100 organizations use their data to realize revenue growth, cost reduction, and risk mitigation. Peter has a record of conceptualizing, promoting, and implementing effective and agile analytic programs. He has transformed data and analytic functions in finance, marketing, risk management, pricing, and corporate strategy for clients in the financial services, retail, and technology sectors.
Suparna Goswami | Senior Research Scientist at RENCI: Suparna Goswami, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist at RENCI and a co-lead of the Community Data Standards and Knowledge Graph Search Group for the NIH HEAL Data Stewardship Group. Goswami has several years of research experience in the areas of innovation management, user experience research, quantitative research methods; and in leading interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research projects. In addition to her academic background, Goswami has years of industry experience in the development and implementation of large scale multi-organizational information technology systems. She has published in premium journals and conferences in the areas of information systems management and computer human interaction.
Reiko Nakashima | Director of Computational Biology in Machine Learning and Computational Sciences at Pfizer: Reiko is Director of Computational Biology in Machine Learning and Computational Sciences (MLCS) group at Pfizer. With her computational, biostatistical, and epidemiological skills, she leads computational method development to analyze various types of large biological data including high-throughput sequencing data. Before joining Pfizer, she was Assistant Professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School where she led cancer genomics, cancer immunology, and biomarker discovery studies using whole-exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, clinical and pre-clinical studies, and longitudinal population-based cohorts.
Estevan E. Torres Jr | Senior Financial Analyst at Bank of America : Estevan E. Torres Jr. is a Systems Engineering graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a diverse background spanning multiple industries, including manufacturing, supply chain controls, and finance. Estevan has been an integral part of Bank of America for the past four years. Throughout his journey at the bank, he has gained valuable experiences in various departments, from Global Procurement, Global Risk, and now finding himself in Staff Support Finance. He has a personal connection to assisting the Latinx, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented communities. Estevan volunteers his time giving back to combat stigmas in the mental health and low-income population locally in his hometown of Charlotte, NC. He is passionate about promoting mental wellness and supporting individuals in their own career progression.

DataBytes: The Risks of Facial Recognition Technology: Dismantling the First Amendment Defense
2023-10-11 15:30 - 16:30
In a lawsuit challenging its surveillance activities, Clearview AI used the First Amendment as a defense. The facial recognition technology company argued that the creation and use of its surveillance product was First Amendment protected speech. Join Talya Whyte, third-year law student at New York University, as she presents a case study on the parties’ basic arguments, Clearview AI’s characterization of its activities as “speech,” and the implications of this argument. Attendees will understand how facial recognition technology works and the risks and harms inherent in its building and implementation, and gain the knowledge to make more informed legal, policy, and technical choices about the implementation of AI-based surveillance technology.
Talya Whyte is a third year law student at New York University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of new technology, society, public trust, and digital rights. She is a 2023 Google Legal Scholar, a Student Fellow at the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy, and NYU Cyber Scholar. Whyte hopes for a thoughtful and humanitarian integration of technology into existing legal and societal frameworks.
Register for the Event

Scaling Up: Exploring Articulation Agreements Between Two-Year and Four-Year Institutions: Wake Tech and Shaw University
2023-10-05 15:00 - 16:00
Articulation agreements between two year and four year institutions aren’t crafted overnight. Join this conversation between leaders at Shaw University and Wake Tech as they walk our audience through the essential components of an articulation agreement between a two year institution and a four year institution. Topics that they will address include but are not limited to the following: Community college bridge programs, pitfalls to avoid, and mapping certifications into the agreement.
Speakers:
James Brown, Shaw University – Department Head of Computer Science at Shaw University
Kathy Frederick, Wake Tech – Director of Student Work Experience Employer/University/Advisory Partnerships
Register Here

DataBytes: AI in Target Identification and Drug Discovery: Transforming the Future of Medicine
2023-08-22 12:00 - 13:00 | via Zoom
The National Consortium for Data Science looks forward to hosting Kimberly Robasky, Associate Director of Machine Learning/AI at Arrakis Therapeutics, on August 22 for our next DataBytes event as she discusses AI in Target Identification and Drug Discovery: Transforming the Future of Medicine.
Register Here
Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking a transformative role in target identification and drug discovery. Today, AI algorithms can analyze vast, multi-modal datasets to identify drug targets, accelerate lead compound discovery, and optimize drug design. AI is being used by biotechnology companies around the world to compress timelines and improving clinical trial outcomes. Join us to uncover the data-driven revolution in personalized medicine enabled by AI-driven drug development.

Data Matters 2023
2023-08-07 - 2023-08-11 | via Zoom
Data Matters™ is a week-long series of one and two-day courses aimed at students and professionals in business, research, and government. The short course series is sponsored by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, the National Consortium for Data Science, and RENCI.
Registration is now open for the traditional Data Matters series which will be held August 7 – 11, 2023. Register here.
Data Matters gives students the chance to learn about a wide range of topics in data science, analytics, visualization, curation, and more from expert instructors. Registration is now open; reserve your spot now!

DataBytes: AI Ethics Through the Lens of Causality: A Theory of Fairness
2023-06-20 16:00 - 17:00
The National Consortium for Data Science looks forward to hosting Christopher Lam, CEO of Epistamai on June 20 for our next DataBytes event as he discusses AI Ethics Through the Lens of Causality: A Theory of Fairness.
View a recording of the event here.
To understand fairness, one must unify central ideas from the social sciences and humanities to mathematics and computer science. Join Christopher Lam, CEO of Epistamai, as he shows how to model a principal cause of algorithmic bias and directly map it to the two fundamental laws of causal inference. Additionally, he will show how to bridge the field of causal inference to machine learning, providing us with a novel way to visualize the different ways that a supervised machine learning model can discriminate. These causal models may help policymakers on both sides of the aisle to modernize AI regulations so that they are aligned to society’s values.

DataBytes: Data Ethics
2023-04-20 11:00 - 12:00
The National Consortium for Data Science looks forward to hosting Anisha Nadkarni, Data Ethics Officer and Lead Data Analyst at Randstad, on April 20 for our next DataBytes event as she walks us through the practical challenges she faces in work and how she addresses these issues.

Data ethics is a growing concern in all industries, especially as issues such as algorithmic bias, informed consent, and privacy become more nuanced. Additionally, with artificial intelligence and machine learning tools gaining traction at a rapid speed, it is more imperative than ever that organizations establish strong ethical guidelines around the data collected from client projects, research endeavors, and business affairs. Join Anisha Nadkarni, Data Ethics Officer at Randstad Global, on Thursday, Apr. 20, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET, as she walks us through a day in the life of a data ethicist. We’ll hold a Q&A session with Nadkarni at the end of the meeting.

Analyzing Data Science Careers | Spring Career Panel 2023
2023-04-13 16:00 - 17:00
You don’t want to miss these data science professionals who provide insight into what it takes to capture the attention of top recruiters in data science and data analytics. Our panelists represent a variety of career stages and they are ready to discuss what it takes to set yourself apart as you launch your career search.
Join us to learn more about:

What programming languages are in demand now,
Unexpected ways to promote your experience
What experiences you should gain early in your career

Register Here

Speakers include:

Bradley Doll | Data Science Manager at Spotify: Brad leads a data science team at Spotify working to develop data analysis products for advertisers. Trained as a cognitive neuroscientist, Brad transitioned from academia to industry to set up a data science practice at The Daily Beast prior to joining Spotify in 2019.
Alice Fortune-Britt, PhD | Manager, Medicare Stars at Blue Cross NC: Alice is a health services researcher by training (Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health). After working briefly in academia, she started at BlueCrossNC as a Data Scientist and transitioned to a Senior Strategic Advisor. In her current role as Manager of Medicare Stars, she is responsible for strategy, performance monitoring, and analytic insights to improve member experience and health outcomes.
Uthra Ramanujam | Sr Director, Data Science-Liberty Specialty Markets at Liberty Mutual Insurance: Uthra Ramanujam is the Senior Director of Data science and advanced analytics at Liberty Mutual and supports Liberty specialty markets globally where she leads a team of data scientists and product managers delivering innovative solutions across the insurance value chain. Prior to that she was the VP of Strategic tech research at StateAuto Insurance in Columbus,OH where she lead a similar team delivering business capabilities using ML/AI and Blockchain and other cutting edge tech . Before State auto she was an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. leading the Machine Learning and Emerging Technology Group, which supports Consumer Operations. She has a passion for mentoring and teaching technology and teaches data mining and python programming part time at THE Ohio State University and UC Berkeley.
Michael Taffe | Data Reporter at FT Specialist: Michael Taffe is a D.C.-based data reporter for two of the Financial Times’ industry publications, FundFire and Financial Advisor IQ, covering institutional investors and asset managers. In this role, he reports on the growing role that large money managers play in affecting public policy and the financial services industry as a whole. He studied statistics and economics at UNC-Chapel Hill and has previously reported on campaign finance and higher education in North Carolina.

Data Matters: Spring Ahead 2023
2023-03-13 - 2023-03-16
Registration is now open for our first-ever Data Matters spring event. Data Matters: Spring Ahead will take place online from March 13 – 16, 2023 and is aimed at students and professionals in business, research, and government. The short course series is sponsored by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, the National Consortium for Data Science, and RENCI.
Our first-ever springtime series, Data Matters: Spring Ahead, will feature a selection of our most popular two-day courses. The traditional Data Matters series will return in August 2023.
Data Matters gives students the chance to learn about a wide range of topics in data science, analytics, visualization, curation, and more from expert instructors. Registration is now open; reserve your spot now at Data Matters.

DataBytes: Five ways that data visualizations can mislead (and how to fix them)
2023-02-14 12:00 - 13:00
Visualizations allow people to readily analyze and communicate data. However, many common visualization designs lead to engaging imagery but false conclusions. By understanding what people see when they look at a visualization, we can design visualizations that support more accurate data analysis and avoid unnecessary biases.
Join UNC Computer Science Assistant Professor Danielle Szafir on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 12-1 p.m. ET, as she walks us through best practices in data visualization and analysis. We’ll hold a Q&A session with Dr. Szafir at the end of the meeting.
View a recording of the event here.

If you would like to review content from the previous webinars in the series, please click here to watch the recordings.

The Data Shows Government Website Accessibility and Usability Go Hand-in-Hand
2023-02-08 12:00 - 13:00
The National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS), in partnership with Interpersonal Frequency, will host a free webinar, “The Data Shows Government Website Accessibility and Usability Go Hand-in-Hand,” on Wednesday, February 8 at 12 PM ET.
Register Here

Digital accessibility—whether it’s billed as “Section 508 compliance,” “ADA compliance,” or “WCAG compliance”—is top-of-mind for government organizations, and rightly so. In the same way that their physical buildings must welcome everyone in the community, their online spaces should be open, easily accessible, and useful to all. But fulfilling these standards can seem daunting, highly technical, or even out of reach.
Here’s the good news: Accessible online experiences are attainable, and Interpersonal Frequency can provide a blueprint. With data from over 17 million government website users across the country, gathered using our Voice of Citizen® and Voice of Patron® analytics platform, Interpersonal Frequency can look beyond the common accessibility grading tools. It has confirmed that accessibility goes hand-in-hand with usability, which measures the ease and effectiveness of digital experiences. Considering them together is key to elevating digital government. In this webinar, we’ll give an overview of why accessibility and usability matter so deeply for municipal organizations, share the data that drives our pursuit, and show how connecting the dots between the data and the real people it reflects can take a website from being a static information repository to working as a tool for genuine community engagement.
About the Speakers
Kirsti Kenneth, UX Strategy Manager
Known for her dynamic presentations and infectious enthusiasm, Kirsti is passionate about creating innovative solutions that elevate the user experience. She has worked in journalism, museum education, training, and content strategy, developing interdisciplinary ways to educate and engage. At I.F., Kirsti leads the User Experience team as they tackle large-scale website redesign projects for states, cities, counties, public libraries, and utilities.
Carrianne Tuckley, Information Architect
Carrianne is an Information Architect with over 12 years of experience in Information Architecture and User Experience roles. She is active in her local UX community, having organized World Information Architecture Day in Northeast Ohio since 2015, and serving on the board of UX Akron. At I.F., Carrianne works to ensure that the sites we redesign have the best structure, interaction, and vocabulary to make them as user-friendly as possible.
Melanie Bozzelli, Content Strategist
Melanie is a Content Strategist with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, managing complex websites, and championing customer experience and accessibility for all. She is active in local user experience and accessibility communities, serving as Chair of UX Akron. At I.F., Melanie works with clients to ensure their websites communicate effectively and are accessible and inclusive for visitors.
Read more here

The Data Shows Your Government Website Content Matters
2023-01-11 12:00 - 13:00
The National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS), in partnership with Interpersonal Frequency, will host a free webinar, on “The Data Shows Your Government Website Content Matters” on Wednesday, January 11 at 12 PM ET.
With data from over 17 million government website users across the country, Interpersonal Frequency has been able to uncover some unexpected trends in the world on online government content. One trend we can’t ignore: content matters. The most beautiful, high-tech site in the world can fail its visitors if the content it presents is poor quality. UX Manager Kirsti Kenneth has seen too many government sites pin all their hopes on a technical fix or wait too long to address their content needs, with sometimes disastrous results. In response, she developed a data-driven, “content-forward” approach to website improvement and redesign, built to minimize process bottlenecks and maximize the impact for end users. We’ll share the biggest lessons data has taught us about the impact of good quality content, where clients are falling short, and what’s being frequently overlooked. Then, we’ll walk you through the tactics we’ve developed to help counter these trends and show you how we turn content from a frustrating burden into an opportunity to create high-impact, affordable, data-backed improvements.
View a recording of the event here.

Improving Digital Inclusivity on Local Government Websites using the “Hidden Cues” in Data
2022-11-02 12:00 - 13:00
The National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS), in partnership with Interpersonal Frequency, will host a free webinar, on “Improving Digital Inclusivity on Local Government Websites using the “Hidden Cues” in Data” on Wednesday, November 2 at 12 PM ET.
In theory, digital spaces can provide both services and better quality of life to more people than ever before. In practice, too many government websites are not serving diverse populations equally. You want your website to do better and attract historically underprivileged categories, but how do you begin? In this webinar, you’ll learn how civic analytics can give solid clues about how to build a more inclusive government website. Interpersonal Frequency founder Harish R. Rao will reveal our 2021 Government Benchmarking report with user success data with insight on how to attract those digitally left behind, and help you decide where to invest your next research funds. Plus, he’ll discuss unique insights learned from I.F.’s in-depth website discovery process with cities and counties. We will also cover “hidden” insights buried in the benchmarks, like the services that municipal government web users most want — but often fail to find or receive.
View a recording of the event here.

2022 NCDS Fall Career Panel: Analyzing Data Science Careers
2022-10-19 12:00 - 13:00
You don’t want to miss these data science professionals provide insight into what it takes to capture the attention of top recruiters in data science and data analytics. Our panelists represent a variety of career stages and they are ready to discuss what it takes to set yourself apart as you launch your career search. Join us to learn more about:

What programming languages are in demand now
Unexpected ways to promote your experience
What experiences you should gain early in your career

Register for this free, virtual career panel on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 12pm-1pm, featuring Dr. Deborah Stroman (UNC Gillings School of Public Health), Justin Choy (Google), Gabriel Farkas (IQVIA), and Namrata Jumani (Bain and Co).
View a recording of the event here.

Building an Inclusive and Transformative Data Strategy in Research and Community Engagement
2022-10-13 11:00 - 12:00
The National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS), in partnership with the UNC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, will host a conversation on Building an Inclusive and Transformative Data Strategy in Research and Community Engagement on Thursday, October 13 at 11 AM ET.
The COVID pandemic and racial justice protests across the country have sparked new conversations regarding race, racism, and social justice in nearly every aspect of American society. From housing, health care, employment, and wealth accumulation to education and policing, policies, practices, and institutions are being re-examined through the lens of anti-racism and equity. Data, and the systems that create and rely upon data, have been no exception.
In this online seminar, audiences will hear from interdisciplinary experts as they define data equity and discuss considerations of the ways in which data are collected, analyzed, interpreted, and distributed. This discussion will explore ways that data can reinforce stereotypes, exacerbate problems like racial bias, or otherwise undermine social justice. Finally, we will discuss how data equity can empower communities, yield informed decision making, and share best practices for inclusivity and improving data equity.
The event will be moderated by Dr. Essie Torres, Director of Strategy for Research Diversity Workforce and Community Partnerships at the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Our panelists include:

Dr. Kristin Black — ECU Department of Health Education and Promotion
Dr. Trenette Goings – UNC School of Social Work
Dr. Iheoma Iruka — UNC Department of Public Policy
Mr. Milton Suggs — UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute

View a recording of the event here.

Data Matters 2022
2022-08-08 - 2022-08-12
Data Matters™ is a week-long series of one and two-day courses aimed at students and professionals in business, research, and government. Sponsored by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, the National Consortium for Data Science, and RENCI, the short-course series gives students the chance to learn about a wide range of topics in data science, analytics, visualization, curation, and more from expert instructors.
Check out the Data Matters website to see more information about the first-ever springtime series, Data Matters: Spring Ahead, which will be held on March 13-16, 2023 and will feature a selection of their most popular two-day courses. The traditional Data Matters series will return in August 2023.
