UVA School of Data Science graduates pursue many career paths, including government, health care, technology, retail, and... finance. In this episode, we hear from two UVA data science alumni who put their data science degrees to work every day in their roles at Octus, a financial services company that uses data to provide insights to its clients in banking and legal services.

They discuss the integration of AI into various industries, the challenges of information overload, and the role of human expertise. We welcome Charu-Rawat, who earned her Master’s in Data Science from UVA in 2019.  

One of the most pressing challenges in our increasingly data-driven world is the Data Deluge—the overwhelming flood of information that we generate and record every single day. With us are three experts from the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science. Phil Bourne, a professor of biomedical engineering and the founding dean of the school of data science, is joined by Terence Johnson and Alex Gates, both assistant professors of data science. Together, they have been exploring innovative methods to make sense of the vast oceans of data we’re all swimming in.

This episode unpacks the challenges of the data deluge—what it means for businesses, researchers, and society at large—and explore the strategies we can use to navigate it. How do we make sense of so much information? How do we ensure the ethical use of this data? And what opportunities does this overwhelming flood of data open up for the future?

Many of us look forward to our Spotify wrapped at the end of the year. It's fun to see your whole year in music reflected back to you in the form of auras and moods and, of course, ranked lists, all powered by the cold, hard data of our listening habits. But there's so much more data available to visualize as art. That's what our guest, Pete Cybriwsky does. Pete is an entrepreneur and an award winning artist building at the intersection of data and art. In this podcast, you'll hear him in conversation with Lane Rasberry wikimedian in residence at the UVA School of data science. 

If you want to learn more about Pete's work, check out his new app Day By Data.

To turn your spotify data into art, visit ngenart.com.

In recent elections, the rise of misleading content—ranging from manipulated images to false narratives—has sparked growing concerns about misinformation and disinformation. How does this wave of deceptive content deepen political divides, shape voter perceptions, and erode trust? And what does it mean for our access to reliable information? Last month, the UVA Karsh Institute of Democracy and the School of Data Science co-hosted an in-depth discussion to ask these pressing questions and uncover the challenges at the intersection of truth, trust, and democracy.

Guests included Mona Kasra, associate professor of digital media design at the University of Virginia; Francesca Tripodi, associate professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and David Nemer, assistant professor in media studies at the University of Virginia.

If you would like to learn more about the Karsh Institute of Democracy or the School of Data Science, please visit karshinstitute.virginia.edu or datascience.virginia.edu.

Data science is an incredibly diverse and global field of study and practice. In order to tackle some of our most challenging issues ranging from climate change to cognition, we need data and data scientists from all over the world to make advances in research, technology and innovation. To talk about their research interests and the importance of having diverse, global perspectives in the field of data science, this episode of UVA Data Points features a conversation by Javier Rasero, Assistant Professor of Data Science, and two University of Virginia data science students: Marco Gutiérrez Chavezis a first-year Ph.D. student from Peru and Mercedes Mora-Figueroa de Liñán is an M.S. in Data Science student from Spain.

To view the full digital exhibition visit:

https://story.datascience.virginia.edu/

The Story of Us is a digital brand showcase that chronicles the creation of a data science school at the University of Virginia. From an idea to an institute, and now to the first school of its kind in the nation, this bespoke, interactive website tells the story through written and spoken narrative supported by multimedia, archival documentation, and testimony from a diversity of voices. The result is a unique brand piece that combines technology with art, a retrospective of one school’s past and how it will inform its future. It was commissioned by the School of Data Science to mark the opening of its new building in April 2024.

The Story of Us website was built by John Baxton, senior web developer for the School of Data Science, who worked in close collaboration with Sue Haas, the School’s information technology director. The designs for the site were created by the Charlottesville-based Journey Group. Video interviews and the audio version of The Story of Us were recorded and edited by Cody Huff, multimedia producer for the School of Data Science, who also coordinated the curation of assets for the project. Monica Manney provided the narration.

Research and editorial content for the project were provided by the School of Data Science communications team of Huff, Cooper Allen, Alyssa Brown, Emma Candelier, and Kirsten Samuels.

The Story of Us would not have been possible without the cooperation and generous time provided by the key figures interviewed for this project. They are Cathy Anderson, Phil Bourne, Don Brown, Arlyn Burgess, Rick Horwitz, Reggie Leonard, Melissa Phillips, Jim Ryan, Teresa Sullivan, and Jaffray Woodriff.

And to all the students, faculty, and staff who contributed to this story over the years, the School of Data Science will forever be grateful.

The UVA School of Data Science was formed in September 2019 and has since grown in its collaborations, partnerships, program offerings, and teaching and research personnel. We are now constructing a new facility that will house the School of Data Science at the University of Virginia.

The new building is in the first phase of development and, once complete, will link the University's Central Grounds with the athletic fields and North Grounds. The 60,000-square-foot building is the future home of the UVA School of Data Science and will serve as the gateway to the new Emmet-Ivy Corridor and the Discovery Nexus.

This bonus episode is a conversation between UVA architect Alice Raucher and Mike Taylor, a principal with Hopkins Architects. Both Alice and Mike have been instrumental in the building’s design. Alice has also played a key role in the development of the Ivy Corridor. Mike and Alice take a deep dive into the thought process behind the building’s design, its relationship to the University and its history, the land's unique topography, and its significance to future projects along the Ivy Corridor. 

Links:

Hopkins Architects

School of Data Science New Building Website

In his new book, The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment, Eric Siegel offers a detailed playbook for how business professionals can launch machine learning projects, providing both success stories where private industry got it right as well as cautionary tales others can learn from.

Siegel laid out the key findings of his book in our latest episode during a wide-ranging conversation with Marc Ruggiano, director of the University of Virginia’s Collaboratory for Applied Data Science in Business, and Michael Albert, an assistant professor of business administration at UVA's Darden School. The discussion, featuring three experts in business analytics, takes an in-depth look at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, business, and leadership.

http://www.bizML.com

https://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty-research/centers-initiatives/data-analytics/bodily-professor

https://pubsonline.informs.org/do/10.1287/LYTX.2023.03.10/full/

https://www.kdnuggets.com/survey-machine-learning-projects-still-routinely-fail-to-deploy

CRISPDM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-industry_standard_process_for_data_mining

CRM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management

This panel delves into how the faculty at UVA's School of Data Science are actively working to craft a liberal arts curriculum suitable for the digital age, one that not only adapts to but embraces changes in technology and practice. The panel discusses the future of data science education, including in K-12, the school’s guiding philosophy for its undergraduate and graduate programs (minor, B.S., online and residential M.S., Ph.D.), and the merits as well as challenges that arise when constructing a new educational curriculum for a new discipline.

Because of advances in machine learning, wearable technology, and computer vision, the field of sport analytics is a whole new game. This episode gets into the details on what is new, the impact of analytics and technology on athletes and sports, as well as the ethics surrounding its implementation. Three experts from the University of Virginia School of Data Science met to discuss this exciting topic: Natalie Kupperman, Stephen Baek, and Don Brown.  

On behalf of everyone here at the School of Data Science, thank you and we’ll see you next year