A Year-In-Review | Amanda Miller, Associate Director
Hello NCDS Community,
I’m looking down on the traffic of Austin from my hotel room right now, reflecting on my experiences at SXSW EDU this week. This is my first time at SXSW EDU and the sessions have captured my imagination. Thought leaders like Dr. Abiodun Durojaye and Michael Strautmanis have challenged me to continue to push the NCDS forward and rethink the way we serve students and our global data science community.
Beyond this, the role of data science in education continues to be a burning topic of conversation. Reskilling and upskilling our workforce is a necessity. Our public education system, both K-12 and higher ed, must prioritize data science education with a focus on equity.
At NCDS, we know that you need tools to succeed in this space, and we aim to provide the content you need to combat the status quo.
- Registration for short-course series Data Matters: Spring Ahead ends on Friday, March 10. Don’t miss this opportunity to level up your skill set with hands-on exercises from live professors from Duke and NC State University. Classes include Intro to Effective Information Visualization, Basics of R for Data Science and Statistics, Visualization for Data Science in R, and Intro to Python.
- Algorithmic bias is real. We look forward to hosting Anisha Nadkarni, Data Ethics Officer and Lead Data Analyst at Randstad, the largest recruitment company in the world, 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. Register for the free webinar here.
Below, I’ve listed the highlights of our programming over the last year. Know this: I am grateful for the individuals who have contributed their time and talent to this organization. I am proud to support and amplify these voices. There is much to be done, and if you have thoughts on how we can continue to elevate voices across disciplines and sectors, feel free to reach out to me. A stronger, more equitable data science community begins with you.
Sincerely,
Amanda Miller
Associate Director
The National Consortium for Data Science
A project of RENCI at UNC-Chapel Hill
amiller@renci.org
(917) 548-1591
April 7, 2022 – How to be an Antiracist Researcher
Dr. Trenette Goings – UNC School of Social Work
Dr. Faye Belgrave – Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), main campus
Dr. Maghboobah Mosavel – Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), medical campus
Approximately 350 people registered in one week for this webinar that offered participants an opportunity to learn how to engage in antiracist research by presenting a counter-narrative to the traditional conceptualization and implementation of research with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
NCDS Focus Area: Data Literacy
August 8-12, 2022 – Data Matters
Launched virtually in 2020, the short course series Data Matters broke profit and attendance records in our third year using a virtual format. As a result, Data Matters: Spring Ahead launches March 13, 2023, an offering of our four most popular DM classes and instructors from Duke University and NC State.
NCDS Focus Area: Data Literacy, Career Development
October 13, 2022 – Building an Inclusive and Transformative Data Strategy in Research and Community Engagement
This NCDS collaboration with the UNC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research yielded the most highly attended virtual event during University Week – 86 attendees.
NCDS Focus Area: Data Literacy, Membership Development
October 19, 2022 – Analyzing Data Science Careers
We convened approximately 200 students from across the country in October for a virtual career panel featuring speakers from Google, Bain and Co., and IQVIA. This lively Q&A session moderated by Dr. Deborah Stroman. Over 500 individuals registered.
NCDS Focus Area: Career Development
November 2, 2022 – Using the Hidden Cues in Data with Interpersonal Frequency
Almost 150 individuals from Portland, OR to Pensacola, FL registered to attend the inaugural event of this three-part webinar series. Interpersonal Frequency founder and Chief Data Scientist Harish Rao explored the ways that civic analytics share clues about how to build a more inclusive government website. Additional webinars held on Jan. 11, 2023 and Feb. 8, 2023.
NCDS Focus Area: Career Development, Membership Development
February 14, 2023 – Five Ways that Data Visualizations can mislead, and how to fix them
We re-launched our DataBytes webinar series last month. Approximately 90 people attended this session on data visualization hosted by Dr. Danielle Szafir (UNC Assistant Professor, Computer Science).
NCDS Focus Area: Data Literacy, Career Development, Membership Development