Collaborative Research: HDR DSC: Increasing Accessibility through Building Alternative Data Science Pathways

随着计算机变得更快、更便宜，每天都会产生海量数据。数据科学家接受了分析这些信息的培训，并将结果应用于科学研究、工程挑战、商业决策和其他改善社会的努力。2019年至2020年间，对数据科学家的需求增长了28%，美国劳工统计局估计，到2026年，将创造1150万个数据科学工作岗位。该项目将通过向STEM(科学、技术、工程、数学)的更多不同群体的学生提供数据科学教育来帮助满足这一需求。该项目还将开发灵活的课程材料，可用于在其他机构的本科课程中增加专门的数据科学课程，从斯佩尔曼学院开始，并寻求将其扩展到亚特兰大大学中心和其他地方。在联合协作中，斯佩尔曼学院、亚特兰大大学数据科学中心倡议和密歇根州立大学(MSU)寻求通过联合伙伴关系解决可访问性问题，重点是创建途径，促进跨STEM(科学、技术、工程、数学)学科的数据科学教育。首先，拟议的合作伙伴关系寻求建立一个3+2理科+理科硕士项目(理科学士、理科硕士)。这一3+2计划将允许学生在斯佩尔曼完成STEM领域(如数学、物理、生物)的学士学位，并在密歇根州立大学完成数据科学的硕士学位，同时也为有兴趣获得博士学位的学生提供坚实的基础和明确的发展轨迹。其次，这一合作关系寻求在斯佩尔曼大学开设数据科学辅修课程，面向STEM领域的学生。在创建这个辅修课程时，我们将利用密歇根州立大学已经完成的工作，创建一个数据科学项目，并利用斯佩尔曼学院教师的专业知识来开发课程，以满足不同专业和背景的本科生的需求。我们寻求创建的新教育材料是基于一个月一个学分的创新课程，最初设计的目的是为密歇根州立大学的学生培养生物信息学技能。利用这些想法并将它们映射到Spelman STEM学生的需求上，我们寻求创建一条通往数据科学的可访问途径，以满足学生在教育旅程中所处的位置。这些教育努力将为那些寻求在密歇根州立大学和斯佩尔曼大学的STEM研究领域运用现代数据科学方法的STEM专业学生创造道路。该课程将作为在全国范围内创建无障碍数据科学教育倡议的典范。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

As computers become faster and less expensive, huge amounts of data are being produced every day. Data scientists are trained to analyze this information and apply the results to scientific research, engineering challenges, business decisions, and other efforts to improve society. The demand for data scientists increased by 28 percent between 2019 and 2020, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 11.5 million data science jobs will be created by 2026. This project will help meet this need by making data science education available to more diverse populations of students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). This project will also develop flexible curriculum materials that can be used to add specialized data science coursework to undergraduate programs at other institutions, beginning with Spelman College and seeking to grow this to the Atlanta University Center and beyond. In a combined synergistic effort, Spelman College, the Atlanta University Center Data Science Initiative and Michigan State University (MSU) seek to address issues of accessibility through a joint partnership focused on creating pathways to foster data science education across STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines. First, the proposed partnership seeks to build a 3+2 BS+MS program (BS-Bachelors of Science, MS-Masters of Science). This 3+2 program will allow students to complete their BS in a STEM field (e.g., Mathematics, Physics, Biology) at Spelman and complete a MS in Data Science at MSU, while also providing a strong foundation and clear trajectory for students interested in obtaining a PhD. Second, this partnership seeks to develop a minor in Data Science at Spelman, targeting students across STEM fields. In creating this minor, we will leverage work already done at MSU to create a data science program and the expertise of faculty at Spelman to develop curricula that serves the needs of undergraduates from diverse majors and backgrounds. The new educational material we seek to create is based on an innovative one month one credit curriculum that was initially designed to develop skills in bio-informatics for students at MSU. Harnessing these ideas and mapping them onto the needs of Spelman STEM students, we seek to create an accessible pathway into data science that meets students where they are in their educational journey. These educational efforts will create pathways for STEM majors who seek to bring to bear the power of modern data science methods in their STEM field of study, both at MSU and Spelman. The curriculum will serve as a model for creating accessible data science educational initiatives nationwide.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.