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Data science and technology fields have long lagged in becoming more inclusive of women and underrepresented groups. The inaugural Data & Tech for All Week, which launches Monday, highlights efforts across UC Berkeley that aim to change this reality. The week of March 4-8 features a series of events from organizations across campus, bracketed by Monday’s Women in Data Science (WiDS) 2019 Berkeley Satellite Conference...

[[{"fid":"387","view_mode":"width_200","fields":{"format":"width_200","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"width_200","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"style":"float: left;","class":"media-element file-width-200","data-delta":"2"}}]]As the annual Global Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference approaches, we caught up with Meredith Lee, one of the event speakers and the Executive Director of the West Big Data Innovation Hub . UC Berkeley, along with a range of institutions around the world, has become increasingly involved with the conference, which began at Stanford University in 2015 to inspire and educate...

Imagine a world in which a personalized cure for each person’s sickness was possible. Sir Thomas More first introduced the idea of a “utopian world” in which he envisioned a “perfect” and “free of conflict” society void of all suffering: a world to be desired by all its citizens (British Library). This idea of suffering relates to a myriad of things, one of them being...

Last semester, UC Berkeley seniors Mansi Shah and Samson Mataraso created a DeCal class to provide their peers with hands-on exposure to the human side of data science. They see the class, “Exploring Data Science & Social Good,” and others like it as opportunities to build understanding around data and its transformative power—for better as well as for worse. The idea for the DeCal (...

An interview with Data 8 co-creator Ani Adhikari UC Berkeley Statistics professor Ani Adhikari helped develop and is one of the principle instructors of the hugely popular course Data 8: Foundations of Data Science, which teaches data science applications to thousands of students a year from scores of different majors. Below are some highlights from an interview with Professor Adhikari exploring how the innovative course...

More than 75 students, mentors, industry, and community members came together at Wozniak Lounge in Soda Hall to kick off this year's Women in Data Science (WiDS) Datathon, which continues through this month. Watch video highlights (link is external) and learn more about the Datathon here (link is external). "I never would have had the drive and confidence to work on such a project myself...

The newest class of Data Scholars bonded over brigadieros, Berkeley, and a common love for data at the Spring 2019 Data Scholars Kickoff last Friday. Joining them were numerous special guests, including Google’s VP of Engineering Luiz André Barroso, Google Earth Engine Co-founder Matt Hancher, a former Data Science Scholars leader, and members of the Division of Data Sciences leadership team. [[{"fid":"882","view_mode":"width_300","fields":{"format":"width_300","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"data scholars kickoff","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"data scholars...

More than 1,600 students signed up for Data 8: Foundations of Data Science this semester, making this innovative introductory course the largest on campus. The growing enrollment is just one indication of the continuing enthusiasm for Data 8, which launched as a pilot in 2015 with fewer than 100 students. Universities and colleges around the country, and even internationally, are creating their own versions of...

Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost Paul Alivisatos sent the following message today: Dear Faculty, At the end of last semester, I announced the launch of the search for the position of Associate Provost of Data Science and Information and Dean of the School of Information and invited you to provide input to the search committee. We have received robust feedback and many nominations through the...

[[{"fid":"817","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]] Did you know that palm oil can be found in everything from the chocolate in your desk at work, to the shampoo that you use at home? Timed with the March 4, 2019 Global WiDS@Stanford Conference, the 2nd Annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) 2019 Datathon challenge is to create a model that can detect oil palm plantations in high-resolution satellite imagery, building...