Data Science and Society at Vassar is an interdisciplinary effort to combine data science, the study and application of data to many real world problems, with a focus on its societal impact, both the positives and the negatives. We recognize that as the world becomes more and more data rich and as we develop more and more tools to handle and analyze such data, the more Vassar students and society at large need to learn how to become critical surveyors of the data landscape.

As part of our ongoing efforts to highlight the importance of interrogating the relationship between data science and society, DSS organizes a colloquium series, inviting data scientists from academia and industry to present on work and topics in data science that showcase the important ways in which data science can, and already is, impacting society. In addition, DSS organized technical workshops for students and faculty looking to develop their computational skills. Please see the Technical Workshops page for more information.

In the 2023–2024 academic year, we formed several working groups to continue our mission in more actionable ways, such as laying the ground work for a data science correlate. For more information about who is involve with which working groups and what each working group is working on, please see the Working Groups page.

In the Spring 2024 semester, we are launching the Data Science & Society Faculty-Student Small Grants Program to support faculty and students interested in using data and data science in their courses and research. Please see the Faculty-Student Small Grants Program page for more information includes links to the application.

If you have any questions, or would like to get involved, please email the Steering Committee at DSSCommittee@vassar.edu.  You’re also welcome to contact individual members of the Steering Committee.

If you are a Vassar student interested in learning more about DSS, please check out our Useful Information for Students page, sign up for the DSS mailing list,  and don’t hesitate to reach out to members of the Steering Committee if you want to learn more.

Steering Committee Members:

Ming An, Mathematics and Statistics (Executive Committee Member)
Robin Belton, Mathematics and Statistics
Allan Clifton, Psychological Science
Leroy Cooper, Biology, STS – on leave Fall 2024
Abigail Coplin, Sociology, STS
Jonathan Gordon, Computer Science
Benjamin Ho, Economics
Monika Hu, Mathematics and Statistics
Benjamin Lotto, Mathematics and Statistics
Sarah Pearlman, Economics (Executive Committee Member) – on leave 2024–2025
Marc Smith, Computer Science
Logan Stapleton, Computer Science
Jason Waterman, Computer Science (Executive Committee Member) – on leave Fall 2024