UoS Sewanee Public Interest Data Analysis Institute

Abstract

Pilot a data analysis institute for undergraduate faculty and students in order to develop both groups using four public interest projects with a data component. Sewanee piloted a data analysis institute for undergraduate faculty and students in order to develop both groups and address community problems in a rural context. To this end, in the spring of 2021 DataLab identified four public interest projects with a data component. Student, faculty, and community partner participants were identified to form a team dedicated to working on each project. Two data technologists trained students in a four-week coding for data analysis boot camps, using R. Visiting alumni data technologists provided plenary talks and led discussions of PIT and ways they themselves developed data-analysis careers with a social good focus for our interns. Planning in the fall has resulted in an expanded version of Sewanee DataLab, which will bring students from across the South to join Sewanee students in this project.