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“A lot of times, you think as a young woman, well, I want to do something where I can care for the world, where I can make a difference in the world to make it better. Women often don't relate that to computer programming. And so that's where data science comes in and tells a story, where it combines not just the computational skills, but the statistical skills. But then there's also a requirement of having domain expertise. And that domain expertise, that can be anything. It can be healthcare. It could be climate change. It could be whatever field you want to enter. And so it's easier to relate that to caring for people or caring or having an impact in the world.”

Today, we welcome Nathalie Guebels, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), as she shares her transition from industry to academia and her larger commitment to making data science accessible to community college students. We touch on the development of SBCC's data science pathway, designed to create smooth transfer opportunities for students entering four-year universities. Nathalie also highlights her passion for supporting women in STEM, and details how she incorporates real-world datasets tailored to SBCC students. She talks about designing and co-teaching the cross-disciplinary course "Data Science for All," as well as reflects on the key role that collaboration has played in shaping SBCC’s growing data science program.

“Bringing more real world examples and your own stories into the classroom gets the students more engaged and excited with the material because they connect it with their lives and their interests…I'll look at data from my classes, or we'll talk about SBCC farmers markets. But I think one of the main things we've changed…is bringing more focus on SBCC students and on the students themselves.”

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