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With the semester under way, I am looking forward to the many interesting conversations that will take place in the coming months, in and out of the classroom — including at upcoming IDSS events.
Coming up soon (Friday, March 8th) is the Women in Data Science (WiDS) Cambridge conference, an annual collaboration with Harvard and Microsoft that showcases ground-breaking business and research applications of data science being led by women in the field. Registration for this event is open and I encourage you to spend the day with us — all genders are welcome to attend!
IDSS students organized another outstanding Policy Hackathon last fall, bringing together people from around the world who brought fresh perspectives, new ideas, and possible solutions to real-world challenges. This event is evidence of the impact that cross-disciplinary collaborations can have, as well as a demonstration of how complex data analysis can bring new insights to even the most intractable issues.
Lastly, in addition to sharing some stories from around IDSS — from a generative AI explainer to opinions on AI policy, from data privacy to data symmetry, and from our faculty and students to our ever-growing number of online learners — I want to call out one success in particular: a pilot effort to pair summer research students from MSRP to projects in the IDSS Initiative for Combatting Systemic Racism. There is a great need for this research, but there are also many people interested in doing it. This is a full circle collaboration that brings necessary perspectives to the work, provides opportunities for under-represented students, and helps develop a more diverse talent pool for graduate-level study. It takes a necessary step beyond examining inequity to making a difference in others’ lives — a step in the direction of real change.
Best wishes for the spring,
Noelle Selin, Interim Director, IDSS
Professor, IDSS and Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS)
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