By Sasha Zvenigorodsky Kelli Trei is a Biosciences Librarian and Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a longtime leader within the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Since 2014, she has helped shape the consortium’s growth through various leadership roles. In this article, she discusses the challenges facing the BHL, the importance of making biodiversity […]
Category: Profile
How the Data Science Development Group is standing out in a growing field
“How do we give members an opportunity to learn and grow and still get that professional experience they need?” Eshan Velidandla, a sophomore in Information Science + Data Science, asked himself when laying the groundwork for a new data science-focused club. Now president of the Data Science Development Group or DSDG, Velidandla is not only […]
Reading Between the Brain Waves: Inside a Scientist’s Work on Mobility and Aging
By Sasha Zvenigorodsky Dr. Manuel Hernandez is a researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, focused on the interaction of movement, cognition, and physiological signals in aging and neurological disease. He told us how his lab leverages novel technologies and data analytics techniques to study mobility and advance earlier intervention across […]
Against the Grain: Dr. Salah Issa on Innovating Ag Safety
By Sasha Zvenigorodsky As a researcher in the Agricultural Engineering department and Extension specialist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Salah Issa has spent over a decade advancing agricultural safety. Here, Salah shares how his work blends research, hands-on training, and emerging technologies like machine learning (ML) to prevent injuries on farms. Dr. […]
Building Community in Data Science: WiDS at Illinois
By Sasha Zvenigorodsky 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 […]
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 As an assistant professor of climate, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences, and leader of the Climate Modeling, Prediction, and Applications research group (C-MPA), Dr. Gan Zhang is dedicated to investigating weather extremes and their impacts using a wide range of datasets and machine learning tools. In this article, Zhang shares his experiences and […]
Dan Harmon on Data-Driven Innovation in Research Administration at Illinois
By Francie Fink Dan Harmon is the Director of Data and Systems with the University of Illinois Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA). SPA is a service unit under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation that supports externally sponsored research projects throughout their lifecycle. Dan oversees a team that focuses on data analysis, […]
Identifying Gaps in Early Childhood Education: IECAM’s Data-Driven Insights
By Francie Fink The Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM) provides comprehensive data on early childhood care and education across Illinois, helping policymakers, school administrators, researchers, and more to make informed decisions. At the heart of IECAM is its interactive database, which allows users to explore early childhood metrics at the state, county, and even community […]
Mapping Health Disparities: Marynia Kolak on Data Science for Social Impact
By Francie Fink Dr. Marynia Kolak is an assistant professor and researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is Principal Investigator for the Health Regions & Policies Lab. When Kolak describes her work, she paints a picture of how geography, data science, and health are deeply intertwined, informing each other. As a health geographer and […]
Embracing Your Non-Linear Data Science Career Path: A Conversation with Jordari Rene
By Francie Fink I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jordari JD Rene, Assistant Director of Employer Relations and Professional Connections at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With years of experience working closely with both college students and industry professionals, Jordari is deeply passionate about helping students showcase their talents and connect with meaningful […]
Illinois Students Are Finalists in COVID-19 Student Paper Challenge
Two University of Illinois undergraduate students were finalists in the 2024 COVID Information Commons Student Paper Challenge. Arnav Aggarwal (Statistics & Mathematics) and Sangjun Ko (Statistics) received third place for their project “Identifying and Addressing the Socioeconomic and Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 in Mexico: A Data-Driven Approach Using ENCOVID-19.” The COVID Information Commons (CIC) is an NSF-funded resource developed […]