To help increase diversity in the data science field, a team of University of Oklahoma researchers have received $8,800 from a seed funding program led by the Data Institute for Societal Challenges to develop community and state college students’ skills and sense of belonging in data science.
Ann Beutel, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Sociology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, is leading the team working to better understand the reasons diversity of data science workers in Oklahoma remains less diverse than the state’s population demographics.
“We believe that developing community college students’ skills in data science and their sense of belonging to a university will increase the chances that they will transfer to a four-year school, complete a bachelor’s degree, and enter the data science workforce,” Beutel said.
The team hopes that if they can increase the number of data science workers and the diversity of their backgrounds, it will help better address today’s technological and social problems.
“In order for new technology to help the most people, the people developing that technology ought to be a similar demographic to the people in the State of Oklahoma,” said coinvestigator Mattias Nollert, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering.
Within the Oklahoma City area, community colleges have a higher diverse student body than in the Gallogly College of Engineering at OU. However, according to Beutel, students that transfer from a two-year school to a university have a significantly lower graduation rate compared to students that start their post-secondary education at OU.
“Community college transfer students contribute greatly to the diversity of universities but transitioning to a four-year school can be challenging for them,” she said.
With the support of the seed funding, Beutel and her team are initiating a one-year pilot program for students at Rose State College and Oklahoma City Community College to cultivate their interest and skills in the data science field while instilling a sense of community within the OU program to encourage students to transfer to OU following completion of an associate degree.
“If we can make even a small difference here, this could have profound impacts for the overall diversity of the workforce,” said Nollert.
This project was one of 19 research projects that have been funded by DISC in 2022 to help encourage and incentivize researchers to tackle big challenges and formulate innovative solutions.
Click here to learn more about DISC's monthly seed funding program.
