ODSR Student Community

How the Data Science Development Group is standing out in a growing field

We sat down with the Data Science Development Group, a new RSO in an increasingly competitive field. Their commitment to reflecting the job market while remaining open to students of all skill levels sets this club apart.

2026 Datathon Winners Predict Call Center Activity Using No AI

Understanding the data completely—a skill becoming more and more important with AI—along with storytelling and simplicity differentiated the winners of this year’s Statistics Datathon.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Women in Statistics and Data Science Panel highlights career perspectives and practical advice

Illinois students gathered at the Illini Union on October 3 for the third annual Women in Statistics + Data Science panel. Organized by the Department of Statistics with support from the School of Information Sciences, the event invited panelists from across academia, research, and industry to share their stories and perspectives on being a woman in STEM.

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.

Illinois Data Science sweeps B1G Data Visualization contest

Student and faculty entries each won their respective 2025 Big Ten Academic Alliance Data Viz Championships.

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).

Student Group Profile | Hack4Impact UIUC

For this profile, we talked with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) chapter of the national nonprofit Hack4Impact.