Steering committee for Integrative Data Science Initiative formed

Purdue is launching an ambitious Integrative Data Science Initiative that will be driven by robust interdisciplinary collaboration from colleges across the campus. To guide the initiative, and to help plan activities for the short, medium and long term, a steering committee chaired by Patrick Wolfe, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science, has been created.

The initiative will focus on advancing the frontiers of research and the application of data science to pressing, socially relevant issues as well as a new campuswide, transformational data science education initiative.

The initiative is informed by the recommendations from a cross-campus data science working group and several campuswide discussions convened over several months, and coordinated by the offices of the Provost and the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships.

Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, Discovery Park's chief scientist and executive director, and Jenna Rickus, associate vice provost for teaching and learning, facilitated many of the campus conversations and will continue to provide leadership on the initiative. On behalf of Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, and Suresh Garimella, executive vice president for research and partnerships, Díaz de la Rubia will lead the concentrated data science effort in research based out of Discovery Park, and Rickus will lead parallel efforts in education in light of the growing demand for broadly trained data scientists and the need for imparting capabilities in data science to nearly all Purdue graduates.

The Integrative Data Science Initiative is designed to build on and advance Purdue's existing strengths to position the University as a leader at the forefront of advancing data science-enabled research and education, by tightly coupling theory, discovery and applications while providing students with an integrated, data science-fluent campus ecosystem.

The charter for the steering committee is to serve as an advisory group to the provost and executive vice president for research and partnerships, and assist with coordination of the IDSI and its activities across campus. The committee will provide representation for all Purdue colleges, articulate a road map, and support and promote a strategy for data science research and education activities across campus.

Steering committee members are:

* Patrick Wolfe (chair), College of Science.
* Carrie Berger, Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
* Scott Brandt, Purdue University Libraries.
* Mung Chiang, College of Engineering.
* Rosie Clawson, College of Liberal Arts.
* Tony Hazbun, College of Pharmacy.
* Cate Hill, College of Agriculture.
* Duncan Hockley, College of Veterinary Medicine.
* Karthik Kannan, Krannert School of Management.
* Gerry McCartney, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer.
* Jennifer Neville, College of Science.
* Dorothy Teegarden, College of Health and Human Sciences.
* Jason Ware, Honors College.
* Wayne Wright, College of Education.

Workshops to discuss the next phase of data science research and education goals will be announced soon in Purdue Today.

Sources and contacts: Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity
                                       Suresh Garimella, executive vice president for research and partnerships 

Related links

Data science leader tapped as dean of Purdue College of Science
www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2017/Q2/data-science-leader-tapped-as-dean-of-purdue-college-of-science.html

Faculty, staff input sought to explore new data science initiative
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2017/Q3/faculty,-staff-input-sought-to-explore-new-data-science-initiative.html

Feedback sought for data science initiative
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2018/Q1/feedback-sought-for-data-science-initiative-.html

Follow-up on Purdue's data science initiative
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2018/Q1/follow-up-on-purdues-data-science-initiative.html

Data Sciences Forum video available for viewing
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2018/Q1/data-sciences-forum-video-available-for-viewing.html