National Science Foundation Data Science for Future Leaders Project

Iona University has been awarded a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education for the project entitled "Data Science for Future Leaders". This grant is a major milestone in Iona’s dedication to delivering innovative, interdisciplinary education that prepares our students for success in a data-centric world.

The "Data Science for Future Leaders" project aims to enhance data literacy for all students across various disciplines. This program will provide our faculty with the resources needed to create and integrate data science modules into their existing courses, helping to prepare our students for success in today's data-driven world.

We invite you to join us in fostering a culture where data science is recognized as an important aspect of modern education and career readiness. Together, we can contribute to developing the next generation of data-literate professionals.

Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved and benefit from this exciting new initiative!

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF-IUSE Award No. 2417365.

Jump to Section:

• Faculty Fellows 
• Workshop Structure and Schedule 
• Community-Building Events 

Project Team

This interdisciplinary initiative brings together a team of five faculty members from diverse fields:

Principal Investigator

Co-Principal Investigators

Faculty Fellows

This project will engage three cohorts of faculty fellows, with each cohort comprising four faculty members each year. Participants will take part in professional development workshops and collaboratively create data science educational modules designed for integration into existing courses. This initiative aims to enhance the educational experience by incorporating essential data science skills into the curriculum.

The campus-wide call for applications to recruit the second and third cohorts will be announced in Spring 2025 and Spring 2026, respectively. Relevant information and updates will be posted on this site, so please check back regularly for details!

Inaugural Faculty Fellows Cohort and Curriculum Development 
2024-2025

Our inaugural cohort of faculty fellows has proposed the following topics for the first-year module development:

History

"Interactive Digital Mapping Module: Exploring Latin American History and Diversity across Disciplines"

Accounting

"Integrating Data Science into Accounting Education: A Module Approach"

Media & Strategic Communication

"Visualizing & Presenting Data: Data Driven Journalism Module"

Chemistry

"Introduction to Data Science in Molecular Sciences: A Focus on Drug Discovery and Health Inequality Analysis"

Workshop Structure and Schedule

To accommodate our faculty members' busy schedules, we have designed a flexible and manageable learning approach:

• Eight, 90-minute workshops per academic year (four in the fall and four in the spring) scheduled during University activity hours;
• A two-day summer retreat;
• Independent module completion with mentoring support.

Fall 2024 Workshop Schedule

1. "AI, Authenticity, and the Trump/Harris Phenomenon"
   Dr. Gunn Enli, Professor, University of Oslo
   Wednesday, October 2, 12:30 p.m. 
   Romita Auditorium, Ryan Library
   Learn more at www.iona.edu/CSI
2. "Data Science & Society: Learn it and Lead it."
   Florence Hudson, Executive Director of the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub at Columbia University
   Wednesday, October 23, 12:30 p.m. 
   Cornelia Hall, Room 108
   Learn more at www.iona.edu/CSI
3. "Intro to Python and Jupyter Notebook"
   Moath Nuseir, Computer Science Adjunct Instructor, Iona University
   Wednesday, November 13, 12:30 p.m.
   Murphy Center, Room 201
4. "Data Management: Pandas Library for Data Manipulation"
   Sean Campbell '16, Software Engineer at Gaiascope and Computer Science Adjunct Instructor, Iona University
   Monday, November 18, 12:30 p.m.
   Murphy Center, Room 122

Community-Building Events

The project team is excited to facilitate a series of diverse community-building events on campus focused on data science. These events aim to raise awareness of data science and highlight its significance across various disciplines, extending beyond computing majors. Join us as we explore the impact of data science in multiple fields and foster a collaborative learning environment!