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HBCU Students Showcase Data Science Success in Inaugural Symposium

HBCU Students Showcase Data Science Success in Inaugural Symposium

ATLANTA, GA – The Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative is excited to announce the inaugural AUC Virtual Student Data Science Symposium on Friday, September 24, from 11:00 am ET to 6:00 pm ET. The Symposium is a groundbreaking one-day virtual, interactive event that celebrates and highlights the data science work of AUC students and those that participate in AUC programs. This event is free for all students, faculty and staff at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Symposium offers students across all HBCUs the opportunities to engage with industry professionals and gain access to exclusive networking opportunities. All student registrants will have the opportunity to upload a resume that will be shared with partnering corporations seeking top African American data science talent.
Highlights of the student-focused one-day event include networking sessions to facilitate opportunities for students to engage with potential employers and graduate schools. In addition, 5-minute lightning talks will be given by students showcasing how data science brings innovative solutions to hard societal issues including incarceration rates, child trafficking, genetic diseases, urban planning, and medical technology. Joining the inaugural event are several distinguished alumni that will comprise the Data Science Alumni Panel:

• Dr. Yamisha Bermudez, Biostatistician / Data Manager at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and graduate of Spelman College (C’12) and Morehouse School of Medicine (C’14);
• Samuel Floyd, Sr. Analyst, Online Analytics and Experimentation at Home Depot and graduate of Morehouse College (C’16);
• Terrance Pryor, Legal Counsel, Data and Privacy at General Motors and graduate of Clark Atlanta University (C’14); and
• Asya Spears, Founder & Principal Consultant at Rose Data Studio and graduate of Spelman College (C’11).

The panel will be moderated by the AUC Data Science Club President, Shai Waldrip, who is a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine.

The noon keynote presentation will be given by Dr. Lorin Crawford, a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research New England and an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Brown University. He will share how data science uncovers interactions between genetic features to address diseases. As an alum of Clark Atlanta University (C’13), Dr. Crawford will also inspire all attendees to make innovative advances in data science that can benefit us all. This exciting one-day will be concluded with virtual gamification sessions, interactive expo booths, and prizes awarded to registrants.

Students, sponsors, exhibitors, and general attendees can access and learn more about this event by registering online at: www.accelevents.com/e/aucstudentdatasymposium or by visiting the AUC Data Science Initiative website at: www.datascience.aucenter.edu.

 

Newsletter – September 2021

Newsletter – August 2021

Released on August 10th, this month’s newsletter highlights our upcoming Student Data Science Symposium on Sept. 24th!  With many new opportunities, courses, and workshops for the upcoming school year, we are promoting and showcasing the AUC’s data science talent more than ever!  Be sure to view this month’s edition and get involved! Click to View Our August Newsletter!

Newsletter – September 2021

Newsletter – July 2021

Released on July 8th, this month’s newsletter might be our most employment-loaded release to date!  July’s issue is packed full of data science employment & development opportunities for both faculty and students alike…and as the summer heat kicks in our Director reminds us of the AUC’s burning commitment to social justice through data science. Click to View Our July Newsletter!

Newsletter – June 2021

Newsletter – May 2021

Released on May 6th, this month’s newsletter showcases several exciting opportunities for the summer for both faculty and students!  We have premier development training that includes paid stipends. Deadlines are quickly approaching.  Click to View Our May Newsletter!

Sloan Foundation Awards $249,994 to AUC DSI

Sloan Foundation Awards $249,994 to AUC DSI

The AUC Data Science Initiative has just been awarded a $249,994 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to implement an open source software development postbaccalaureate program in the summer of 2021.  We have coined this program as “Open Doors by Open Source” (ODxOS).  The program will leverage open source software development to acquire entry-level software developer positions in some of the nation’s top companies.

As open source software development is essential to the collaborative nature of data science, the ODxOS program will strengthen efforts to develop a well-skilled data science workforce. This program will train Black computing graduates to prepare them for competitive positions at high-tech companies, develop course components to embed software development into the undergraduate curriculum, share promising practices with HBCUs and other institutions, and diversify the high-tech field.

The Project Lead and co-Principal Investigator is Dr. Kinnis Gosha of Morehouse College, and the Principal Investigator is Dr. Talitha Washington of the AUC Data Science Initiative.

For more about the program, see: https://datascience.aucenter.edu/odxos/