WiDS at Illinois
The Women in Data Science Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a newer student organization created to promote inclusion in the evolving field of data science and to empower underrepresented voices in STEM. In our conversation with them, WiDS president Sara Kiel and vice president Ganga Sajith discussed how the chapter blends professional development and community-centered programming to create a supportive environment for students of all backgrounds to explore data science.
Only in its second year of operations on campus, the Women in Data Science (WiDS) chapter at Illinois is thriving. Founded in spring 2024, the organization has grown quickly into a 200-plus member student organization that is helping students across disciplines build community and confidence in their careers.
“We really do welcome any major, any year, anyone to our events,” says WiDS president Sara Kiel. “Even though ‘Women in Data Science’ is in the name, we invite people of all identities. What we emphasize most is encouraging women-led participation in our meetings.”
Kiel, a first-generation student from rural Illinois, joined WiDS when starting the Information Sciences graduate program at Illinois, in search of an inclusive environment where she could further explore the world of data science.
“As a first-generation student, diversity and inclusion is really important to me,” she says. “I was making a transition from my undergraduate social science background to something more technical, and I was looking for a community of people with similar backgrounds that I could learn from.”
Vice president Ganga Sajith shared a similar motivation. Upon beginning her undergraduate degree in statistics at Illinois, she was one of only a few women in her technical classes. “You just feel isolated in that experience. It can be hard to find the proper support,” she explains. “So I’ve always been interested in supporting marginalized groups in STEM, which is why I gravitated towards Women in Data Science.”
The impact of WiDS on its members has been noticeable. With professional development being a key focus of its programming, the chapter has already held several career building events for its members.
“Last spring we visited the Morningstar office as part of a Women in Data Science conference,” says Sajith. “We heard from all these incredibly accomplished women in the field, and I just remember feeling so inspired. It helped me conceptualize future career possibilities after undergrad.”
“We’ve also built a really great network,” Kiel adds. “We’ve reached out to WiDS members from other chapters nationwide who have come to campus and spoke to us about their career journeys. Everyone is incredibly willing to help each other.”
With new academic pathways opening at Illinois, such as the recently launched X + DS majors, Kiel and Sajith sense that an interest in data science has been rising rapidly across campus.
“A lot of first-year and second-year students come in already curious about data science, even if they don’t necessarily have the skills yet,” says Kiel.
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of data science, WiDS also attracts students from the iSchool, LAS, Grainger College of Engineering, and beyond. “We see students from all sorts of academic backgrounds,” Sajith says.
For Kiel and Sajith, it’s important that WiDS’s programming reflects that mix of backgrounds and skill levels.
“In the beginning of the semester, we sent out a survey for our members to gauge their interest in different data science fields and skills they might want to develop,” says Kiel. “We try to balance the focus on technical skills and soft skills. At the beginning of fall semester, we were doing a lot of career fair prep. More recently we hosted an intro to LLMs workshop.”
As conversations around data science increasingly overlap with conversations about the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, both Kiel and Sajith feel a deeper sense of responsibility to the values driving the organization.
“AI is booming right now,” Kiel says. “But what I’m really invested in is the human-collaboration aspect of it. We’re working with human data, so the ethics of that really matters. The iSchool even has a new course on AI and human collaboration, and I’d love to see more of that human-centered lens at WiDS.”
“Not a lot of people in the field are having that conversation,” adds Sajith. “It’s not just about developing technical skills to make the most accurate AI model. It’s also about how we can use these tools in a collaborative, human-centered way. Being a part of Women in Data Science makes me feel like I can help amplify these conversations and bring those concerns to light.”
As WiDS nears its second full year at Illinois, Kiel and Sajith hope that the blend of technical skill building and community-centered programming is what the chapter continues to foster, building a space where students feel supported and empowered to continue exploring the evolving field of data science.
Learn More and Get Involved
Undergraduate or graduate students interested in learning more about WiDS can find information on their website.
Contact the Office of Data Science Research if you’re aware of other people or resources we could feature here. ODSR is a campuswide convening organization that facilitates collaborations, resource sharing, and public engagement focused on data science research activities at the University of Illinois.