By Michael Sweeney Materials science and data science are converging fast, democratizing materials research, minimizing human bias, and the University of Illinois is reacting accordingly. Professors Pinshane Huang and Dallas Trinkle walk us through how the combination of the sciences is revolutionizing the industry and how students can get in on the action. Materials science […]
Author: ms98@illinois.edu
iDSC Data Dive Showcases a Semester of Learning, Professionalism
By Michael Sweeney The Illinois Data Science Club’s Fall 2025 Data Dive competition came to a close on December 7 after a week of preliminary rounds and final presentations in an already busy time of the year. “This is definitely the highest quality set of projects I’ve ever seen,” said Illinois senior and Data Dive […]
2025 Ashby Prize in Computational Science Hackathon Winners streamline CRISPR Screening with AI
By Michael Sweeney *Results listed at the bottom CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized biology by allowing researchers to investigate how genes function. However, running CRISPR screens can exceed $10,000 per experiment and take months. Following a weekend of intense computation, the winners of this year’s Ashby Prize Hackathon made a step toward a smoother, less expensive […]
Inside the Illinois Data Science Club
By Michael Sweeney 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. From 2016 to 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 27.9% increase in data science-related occupations, and the University […]
Weathering the Storm: An Atmospheric Scientist on Technology, Disruption, and Dedication
By Michael Sweeney Key Takeaways: The world of weather and climate science is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and set against a challenging federal funding environment. In this story, we’ll talk about the changing landscape and how weather and climate data are aggregated, shared, and used. Dr. Gan […]
Making Campus Data Work: A Conversation with Maryalice Wu
By Francie Fink As Director of Data Analytics at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) at the University of Illinois, Dr. Maryalice Wu brings years of experience in survey design, student success research, and statistical consulting. In this conversation, she discusses how she got started, what data analytics means in an academic […]