New $400,000 Collaborative NSF Grant with Spelman College, Data Science eXtension (DSX)

Dr. Paul Anderson

Dr. Paul Anderson

The Department of Computer Science is at the forefront of big data and offers the first undergraduate data science program of its kind.  Dr. Paul Anderson, Assistant Professor and Data Science Program Director, is working to incorporate data science fundamentals in computing curriculum, beyond the College of Charleston.  

Led by Primary Investigator Brandeis Marshall at Spelman College, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $400,000 grant to develop a targeted infusion project called the Data Science eXtension (DSX).  The project supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) undergraduate students, so that they may pursue science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduate programs and/or careers. The project at Spelman College and Morehouse College seeks to address the need for skilled data scientists through training in data science and big data for faculty and students at both colleges, in partnership with the College of Charleston’s Data Science program. The activities and strategies are evidence-based and a strong plan for formative and summative evaluation is part of the project.

The project has specific goals:

  • Train faculty on data science principles that are part of computing fundamentals and infuse the existing curriculum to showcase the data science principles;
  • Develop and implement a data science curriculum at the undergraduate level at both institutions;
  • Broaden awareness of data science to students underrepresented in the discipline at the undergraduate level in preparation of graduate studies or corporate positions in data science.

Two groups of ten faculty will be trained in data science principles, and these faculty will create, infuse, and deliver data science modules to about 500 of their students.

 


To learn more about the data science at the College, visit the data science program website.