October Edition
October Announcement
Welcome to the October edition of the Data Science Initiative newsletter!
We’re thrilled to share some key announcements and upcoming events for the Data Science Initiative (DSI) community! First, a big thank you to all the amazing applicants for the Faculty Fellowship and Dataset Grants. The deadline for applications was October 1st, and the finding window has now officially closed. These opportunities will be open again in the future, with the next round taking place in 2025. We’ll provide further details as the next window approaches.
Looking ahead, don’t miss out on the Distinguished Guest Seminar with Jeff Leek. We’re also excited to share that WiADS has exceeded expectations in attendance, so this is your last chance to RSVP for an in-person spot. Tickets for virtual attendance will remain open until November 1st. Additionally, we have launched our AI Makerspace Hours series, along with many more exciting events hosted by DSI and other data-focused centers. Stay connected for more updates and opportunities to engage with the data science community!
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Data Science at UMN
Featured Article/Celebrating Success
AI Makerspace Hours!
The AI Makerspace hours have been a great success, welcoming participants with a wide range of experience. From those asking, “How do I train a large language model (LLM) to analyze a large set of academic publications?” to beginners wondering, “I’m new to AI, how do I get started?”—the diversity of questions highlighted the community’s growing interest in AI.
In partnership with the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute (MSI), participants gained access to advanced computing resources for AI projects. MSI’s GPU Compute Nodes offer 264 NVIDIA A100 GPUs, with 50 nodes equipped with 4 A100 GPUs connected via NVLink and 512 GB of memory, and 8 nodes featuring 8 A100 GPUs and 1 TB of memory. Additionally, MSI provides 344 CPU Compute Nodes, including 244 nodes with 512 GB of memory and 100 with 2 TB of memory, as well as 10 interactive GPU nodes, each equipped with 8 A40 GPUs, 128 cores, and 512 GB of memory, for real-time work via Jupyter or command-line interfaces.
With this powerful infrastructure, the University continues to push the boundaries of AI research. Don’t miss out on the continuing AI Makerspace hours—come explore how you can leverage these resources for your AI projects!
The Data Science Initiative (DSI) regularly features interviews with members of our vibrant data science community, delving into their perspectives on the field and its implications for their careers. This week, we're excited to introduce Amanda Bullert, whose expertise and insights shed light on the evolving landscape of data science. Follow the link to discover their answers to our thought-provoking questions on the intersection of data science and career advancement. Spotlight on a committee member: Amanda Bullert In this edition of our newsletter, we are privileged to hear from Amanda Bullert, a data manager and research consultant at the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute. Amanda supports researchers from the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, helping them with data management, storage, and analysis needs. She emphasizes that data science involves transforming raw data into actionable insights, driving decisions across industries. Amanda shares insights from her work with the Department of Defense on a project aimed at improving telehealth tools for military families and rural communities in Minnesota, addressing mental health care access. She highlights the importance of using technology to bridge gaps in care. Additionally, Amanda praises Tableau for its effectiveness in creating interactive visualizations, making data management smoother. Looking ahead, she is excited about advancements in data collection tools, data interoperability, and the growing recognition of robust data management practices, all of which will shape the future of data science. Intrigued to learn more? Head to the Community Corner page on our website to delve deeper into our spotlights answers to our community corner questions. |
Initiative Updates
Introducing Our New DSI Core Member! - Dan Keefe Joins the Data Science Initiative as a Core Member
We are excited to introduce Dan Keefe as the newest Core Member of the Data Science Initiative (DSI). Dan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, with research expertise in data visualization, human-computer interaction, and immersive analytics—fields that align closely with DSI’s mission.
As a Core Member, Dan will play a key role in shaping DSI’s strategy and programs, helping to advance our mission of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in data science and AI. Core Members like Dan are vital to DSI, contributing to research that drives our vision forward.
Learn more about our Core Members and their roles within the DSI community. We look forward to the innovative contributions our Core Members will bring to the team. Please join us in welcoming him to the Data Science Initiative!
Research Spotlight - Seed Grant Awardee Title: Data-driven Metrics for Upper-Limb Motor Assessment in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders PI(s): Steven Guy, Rachel Hawe DSI Track: Digital Health MnDRIVE Area(s): Robotics and Sensors, Brain Conditions Summary Paragraph: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder, often face challenges related to upper limb motor impairments that can limit their daily activities. However, the current clinical assessments for arm coordination are limited in accuracy and do not provide the level of detail needed to support personalized rehabilitation options. This project aims to address these challenges by leveraging modern advances in informatics, data science, and computer vision to develop novel techniques for assessing upper limb impairments. The project utilizes markerless motion capture technology to capture high-quality 3D movements of children's arms and upper body while they play augmented reality games designed to elicit various reaching tasks. This fine-grained, time-series data will then be analyzed to develop clinically relevant metrics that focus on key aspects of upper limb motion relevant for quantifying impairments, such as arm usage symmetry, coordination during bilateral reaching, upper limb workspace, and specific reaching strategies. These metrics will enable clinicians to identify specific motor impairments, inform personalized rehabilitation plans, and improve outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Events
AI Makerspace Hours
When: Every other Friday starting September 13, 2024
Where: Walter 575
The DSI and MSI invite all students, staff, and faculty to our AI Makerspace Hours, a unique event where you can dive into AI on our state of the art HPC with hands-on experience. With the support of our expert MSI staff, you'll learn everything from basic coding to training advanced generative AI models. Enjoy access to dedicated HPC nodes for practical learning and a set of comprehensive tutorials.
RSVPs are not required but highly recommended; otherwise, attendees will need to spend a few minutes creating an account on the HPC. Please bring your own laptop (it doesn't need to be a high-performance one). There will be one or two laptops available to loan out if needed.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn, explore, and innovate with us! RSVP Now!
Distinguished Guest Seminar - Jeff Leek
When: October 21st, 2024 @ 3 pm
Where: McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis and via Zoom
Join us on October 21st, 2024, for the DSI Distinguished Guest Seminar featuring Dr. Jeff Leek, Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Fred Hutch, who will discuss data-driven strategies in public health. His talk, titled "Post Prediction Inference – What Do We Do After We Have Machine Learned Everything?", will explore how statistical methods handle machine learning uncertainty and the implications of a data-driven future. The seminar will be available for both in-person and remote viewing, providing an opportunity to gain valuable insights from one of the field's foremost authorities. Register to attend in person here: z.umn.edu/DSI-Leektix
Women in AI & Data Science (WiADS) Conference
When: November 4th, 2024
Where: McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis
Mark your calendars for the Women in AI & Data Science Conference (WiADS), happening on November 4th, 2024, at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. This free event is a unique opportunity to connect with leaders, experts, and enthusiasts in data science and AI, with a special emphasis on supporting women and non-binary individuals.
The conference will feature a diverse range of activities, including technical sessions, business-focused applications, engaging panel discussions, and ample networking opportunities. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the field, WiADS offers something for everyone.
Save the Date: DSI Seed Grant Showcase
When: December 3rd, 2024
Where: Coffman Union’s President’s Room
Join us to celebrate the impactful work of the DSI seed grant recipients. This event fosters community, encourages collaboration, and sparks ideas for future research development. Light refreshments will be provided—don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow data science enthusiasts and explore cutting-edge research.
More details to come!
Data Discovery Across Departments
Events in other departments/initiatives/institutions - (External (Non-DSI Events)
GenAI : Implications in Pedagogy, Practice, and Policy
Friday, October 25 2024
McNamara Memorial Hall (in person only)
9:00-3:00 (lunch provided)
RSVP Here
Priority RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, October 9 2024
Educators are confronting a host of thorny questions about the relationships between technology, knowledge, and human intelligence – all of which are emerging amidst rapid student adoption and use of GenAI. This presentation will begin to demystify many of these emerging technologies and will address many of the concerns educators have expressed regarding AI and GenAI technologies in order to provoke conversations about the relationship between AI/GenAI and the traditions of higher education.
Please contact Maggie Bergeron, Associate Director of Faculty Engagement with any questions.
Minnesota Demography & Aging Seminar Series
When: Mondays from 12:15-1:15 PM CT
Where: 50 Willey Hall in the Seminar Room or via Zoom
Snacks and beverages will be served.
For the most up-to-date information, view the full schedule on either the LLC website or the MPC website.
Fall 2024 Schedule
OCTOBER 28
Poor Quality Race/Ethnicity Data is Systemic Racism: Challenges and Solutions
Stella Yi - Associate Professor, Department of Population Health, New York University
NOVEMBER 11
Effect of System Affiliation on Hospital Choice: Evidence from Rural Markets
Caitlin Carroll - Assistant Professor, Division of Health Policy & Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
DECEMBER 2
Granular Income Inequality and Mobility using IDDA: Exploring Patterns across Race and Ethnicity
Abigail Wozniak - Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Director of the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institut
Public Health Equity Data Challenge Day - Register By October 14th!
When: Thursday, November 21st from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Where: Virtual
We are excited to invite you to participate in the first-ever UMN Public Health Equity Data Challenge, an exclusive opportunity for University of Minnesota students to better understand public health equity issues using real-world data.
The challenge will give you the opportunity to explore data collected as part of the 2022 SHAPE survey in Hennepin County. Working together with the SHAPE survey team, we've created an easy-to-use and fully documented version of the SHAPE data that will only be available to those who register for the Data Challenge. Using the data, you'll come up with and answer a public health equity related question of your choice and create an info-graphic, blog entry, social media post, or other public-facing data product to communicate your findings to the general public. Whether you’re passionate about data science, public health, or social justice, this is your chance to showcase your skills, collaborate with like-minded peers, and contribute to meaningful change.
Why Participate?
- Make an Impact: Use your data skills to illuminate real-world health disparities and foster equity in public health.
- Gain Recognition: All teams will have the opportunity to present their findings to University and community leaders in public health equity research.
- Win Prizes: Awards worth over $500 in total across several categories, including public health equity impact, data storytelling, and analytical excellence.
Who Can Join? This challenge is open to all UMN students! Whether you’re an undergrad, grad student, or PhD candidate, you’re welcome to participate– no experience necessary! If you're passionate about public health, health equity, or data science, we encourage you to sign up!
Key Dates:
- Sign-Up Opens: September 30, 2024
- Registration Deadline: October 14, 2024
- Challenge Kickoff: October 15, 2024
- Final Submission Deadline: November 4, 2024
- Public Health Equity Data Challenge Day: November 21, 2024
How to Register: Form a team (of one to four people) and sign up by October 14th at https://z.umn.edu/phedc
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to contribute to advancing health equity through innovative data analysis. We look forward to seeing your impactful and creative work!
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Learning Resources
Libraries: Data Management Good Practices - The Future of Data Sharing: What You Need to Know About Federal Mandates
When: October 15th 2024, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Recently, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a memo requiring that all federal funding agencies adapt a data sharing policy for their grantees. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one agency that has already implemented this requirement, and all federal funders will do so by 2025. What does this mean for data management practices during the lifecycle of your research project? What must you write into a grant application? How do you know where to share your data? All of these topics and more will be explored in this session.
Libraries: Text as Data Practice Group
Wed, Oct 30, 11am - noon
Walter Library, Room 320 (snacks and coffee will be provided)
Students, staff, and faculty from all disciplines are welcome to join the Text as Data Practice group as we explore computational tools, methods, and resources for working with textual data. Our first meeting will highlight text resources that are available at UMN, and discuss tutorials and topics of interest for future meetings. Sign up for the mailing list and RSVP for Oct 30.
If you’re new to working with text as data, you can sign up for LATIS’ fall series of Python computational text analysis workshops, beginning Nov 1.
- facilitated by Michael Beckstrand (LATIS) and Cody Hennesy (Libraries)
Why Data Science?
Data Informs Decision-Making and Drives Innovation Data science is the study of data to extract meaningful insights.
Data Science is a multidisciplinary approach that combines principles and practices from the fields of mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, and computer engineering to analyze large amounts of information. GEMS Learning courses are modular data science education tailored to food, agriculture, and natural resource applications for working professionals and students. Across the curriculum, instructors have built their course content from their own work executing large-scale data science projects to solve pressing agricultural problems.
Fall 2024 Courses
NEW High Performance Computing for Agriculture (beta course for UMN affiliates only)
If you are a researcher that works in the Agri-food domain (e.g., breeder, molecular biologist, food scientist, socioeconomist), you know a little bit of programming (e.g., in R and/or Python), but you feel a little limited (e.g., some of your calculations run for days on your laptop), then you could benefit from this course. We wish to show you how to step up to the next level, improve your coding efficiency, and make use of High Performance Computing (HPC) and Cloud resources readily available to you.
- Breaking the Compute Barrier, Upskilling Agri-Food Researchers to Utilize HPC Resources, September 16 - November 18
Computing Basics for the Agri-food Sector (self paced)
Are you a field or bench scientist and always wanted to feel more comfortable with your computing skills? These self-paced online courses are designed for those who have never used the command line, but realize that the responsibilities they have or will soon take on require them to automate tasks. Learn basic UNIX command-line skills, enable participants to work remotely on more powerful machines, create and run scripts to automate complex workflows, and synchronize your scripts with the larger community with Github.
- Introducing the GEMS platform + Jupyter Lab
- Demystifying the UNIX command line
- Working Remotely and Scheduling Jobs on MSI’s systems
- Synching your work with the community
Introduction to Data Analysis with R
Two hour introductory workshop for those who are new to R and are interested in learning the basics of using R for data analysis
- Introduction to Data Analysis with R, October 30
Analyzing Spatial Agriculture data in R
Is accounting for spatial dependency in your analyses critical to your work?
Or do you need to create a continuous surface of data (i.e., raster) based on a sample point date taken at selected locations?
- Introduction to spatial data analysis in R, November 6, 13 and 20th
Explicitly Accounting for Location in Agriculture in Python (self paced)
Learn how to work with spatial data in Python, starting from importing different spatial datasets and creating simple maps, to conducting basic geocomputation on vector and raster data.
Funding Opportunities and Deadline
If you are interested in any of these or other data science related opportunities and need help organizing your submission or finding the right team please contact us, we’re here to help!
Upcoming deadlines: For students:
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Open Positions: Assistantships and Internships
- Honeywell Internships - Honeywell is looking for 8 Artificial Intelligence interns in Honeywell Aerospace (US Person Required) and 22 interns will be a part of other Honeywell businesses (Non US Persons Possible)
- Quantinuum Internships - Quantinuum is looking for summer interns in Health Safety and Environment, Manufacturing Engineering, Optics Engineering, Metasurface Design (PhD), Trapped-ion Quantum Computing Theory (PhD), PMO Project Engineering, and Technical Solutions Consulting.
Social Media/Website Links
Catchup on the Latest News at DSI
Congratulations to Dr. Genevieve Melton-Meaux on Her Election to the National Academy of Medicine
WiADS 2024 Conference: A Day of Inspiration and Connection for Women in Data Science
On November 4th, 2024, the University of Minnesota hosted the highly anticipated Women in AI and Data Science (WiADS) Conference, organized in partnership with MinneAnalytics at the McNamara Alumni Center. This sold-out event brought together over 1,000 registrants, including over 550 in-person attendees, and showcased the work of women, non-binary, and gender-diverse voices in data science.
