A campuswide convening organization for data science

ODSR updates

Stories from around campus

Materials Science and Engineering teams up with Data Science at Illinois, innovates in Research and Teaching

Materials science and data science are converging fast, democratizing materials research, and minimizing human bias. Professors Pinshane Huang and Dallas Trinkle walk us through how this is revolutionizing the industry and how Illinois is taking action.

When Robots Meet Horseradish: A Ph.D. Student’s Mission Toward Sustainable Solutions for Small-Scale Farming

Agricultural & Biological Engineering Ph.D. student Sandesh Poudel is combining robotics, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture to address small-scale specialty crop farming in Illinois, with a focus on the unique challenges of horseradish.

How Data Science Shapes Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

Our conversation with Dr. Linell Edwards highlights the Provost Office’s use of data science to better understand a wide range of institutional survey data collected across Illinois.

Using Data Science to Improve Educational Outcomes at CITL

Manny Rodriguez Rivera talks about using data science to help instructors close achievement gaps in courses and support a campus-wide culture of evidence-based teaching.

Dan Harmon on Data-Driven Innovation in Research Administration at Illinois

We talked with Dan Harmon, Director of Data and Systems with SPA, about his team’s work with AI and data-driven research administration.

Mapping Health Disparities: Marynia Kolak on Data Science for Social Impact

We explore the geography of health data with Illinois faculty member and spatial data scientist Marynia Kolak.

NSF Seeks Data Sets for AI Education

The National Science Foundation is requesting recommendations for datasets to facilitate AI education and researcher skill development as part of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot. Input due by February 7, 2025. Read the Dear Colleague Letter for details.

Student Profile | Illinois Students win COVID-19 Research Award

Two University of Illinois undergraduate students were finalists in the 2024 COVID Information Commons Student Paper Challenge.

iDSC Data Dive Showcases a Semester of Learning, Professionalism

The student-run Illinois Data Science Club recently hosted its Fall 2025 Data Dive competition. Read our summary of the event and learn about the winning projects.

Building Community in Data Science: WiDS at Illinois

We spoke with leaders of the Women in Data Science Chapter at Illinois about their strategies to keep building this fast-growing organization with a focus on the human elements of data science and AI.

Inside the Illinois Data Science Club

We sat down with a first-of-its-kind club at the University of Illinois, the Illinois Data Science Club. The organization tackles the fast-growing field with data competitions and learning experiences for everyone.

Data Science Mentoring and Talent Retention at Synchrony

We spoke with Synchrony, an Illinois data science partner in the Research Park, about their unique model of developing student talent at Illinois.

Identifying Gaps in Early Childhood Education: IECAM’s Data-Driven Insights

Keith Hollenkamp spoke with us about the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM), which provides comprehensive data on early childhood care and education across Illinois, helping policymakers, school administrators, researchers, and more to make informed decisions.

Embracing Your Non-Linear Data Science Career Path

A conversation with Jordari Rene, Assistant Director of Employer Relations and Professional Connections at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Webinar | Empowering Women in Data Science

Join this Midwest Big Data Innovation Hub Data Science Student Groups (DSSG) webinar as we talk to Samridhi Verma, the President and Ambassador of the newly created University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) chapter of Women in Data Science (WiDS).

Webinar | Data Science for the Public Good

In this webinar, speakers from Iowa State University (ISU) introduce their local Data Science for the Public Good (DSPG) Program and exemplify how they leveraged the Community Learning through Data-Driven Discovery Process (CLD3) to support local communities addressing real problems.

Modeling a Better Future: How Dr. Luis Rodríguez Bridges Biosystems Research and Community Science

ACES associate professor Dr. Luis Rodríguez tells us about initiatives to create a collaborative network where communities can work together to solve common challenges surrounding disaster resilience.

2025 Ashby Prize in Computational Science Hackathon Winners Streamline CRISPR Screening with AI

In one weekend, competitors harnessed AI to optimize the expensive and time-consuming process of CRISPR screening.

Weathering the Storm: An Atmospheric Scientist on Technology, Disruption, and Dedication

Dr. Gan Zhang goes into depth about datasets and machine learning tools in the changing world of weather science.

Making Campus Data Work: A Conversation with Maryalice Wu

CITL’s Director of Data Analytics talked with us about new campuswide data integration and how data analytics helps with teaching and learning.

2025 Datathon Featured 180 Student Teams

The 2025 Illinois Statistics Datathon included 650 participants and was hosted March 28-30, 2025 at the Campus Instructional Facility, in partnership with Synchrony.

Student Group Profile | Hack4Impact UIUC

For this profile, we talked with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) chapter of the national nonprofit Hack4Impact.
Office of Data Science Research
Email: data-science-research@illinois.edu