Statistical Learning Students Tell Data-Driven Stories at DSAN Student Showcase

Last week we were delighted to bring our annual mini-symposium to the Healey Family Student Center, giving students from our Statistical Learning class a platform to explore and present topics ranging from healthcare to pop culture. Students are challenged to approach their chosen topic with incisive questions and create a presentation that combines quality analysis and compelling visual storytelling. Presenting student Matthew Gnanadass (’23) shared, “I found [the project and event] helpful in preparing me for real work…[in addition] one major takeaway is how important it is to use recent data. While my team understood that having more recent data would be better, we were not expecting the number of participants who asked about the impacts more recent data would have.”

Student Perspective

One of the things that differentiate the Data Science and Analytics (DSAN) program from many competitors is its dedication to challenging students to tackle real-world problems. Our program has a deeply rooted culture of innovation, where we are encouraged to apply our skills to take on some of the biggest challenges our planet faces. The recent DSAN mini-symposium was a perfect example of this, bringing together students from across the program to highlight their ongoing research. No topic was too big for this event, with posters featuring data-driven perspectives on climate change, global health, and renewable energy.

With graduation rapidly approaching, this event built skills that are essential for data scientists seeking to enter the job market. Poster sessions offer a unique blend of deep technical analysis, science communication, and visual design. By developing skills in these areas, students gain confidence in their ability to engage with future stakeholders and conduct innovative research. In a larger sense, this event also offered us the opportunity to pause – to celebrate the close of a semester, reflect on the work that we’ve done, and look forward to the opportunities awaiting us this summer. – Daniel Cisek ’23