Wayne State announces new Data Science and Visualization Academy for high school students

Wayne State is offering a new Data Science and Visualization Academy this summer for high school students.

This summer, the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Wayne State University will host the Data Science and Visualization Academy, a new one-week program that will present concepts and tools in visualization, machine learning and data science to high school students.

"We aim to stimulate curiosity in the fast-moving field of machine learning, advances in visualization, and the exciting discipline of prescriptive analytics," said Ratna Babu Chinnam, professor and interim department chair.

The Data Science and Visualization Academy is supported by a $20,000 grant from TE Connectivity, a world leader in connectors and sensors. The Switzerland-based corporation has a local office in Troy, Michigan - just 25 minutes north of Wayne State's campus.

"TE Connectivity is proud to support Wayne State and all the students who will benefit from this program," said Kathleen Ambrose, vice president of global government affairs and corporate responsibility. "As a global technology corporation, we recognize the importance of encouraging students to pursue the technical skills that will help them succeed in the workforce."

A recent Fortune Business Insights study indicated that the global data visualization market is projected to reach $19.2 billion by 2027. The high demand for skilled individuals in this area precipitated Wayne State's decision to create not only this program in 2021 but also the M.S. in data science and business analytics in 2017.

The Data Science and Visualization Academy - which will run from July 19 to 23 and be conducted using Zoom and other digital platforms - will focus on improving empirical and critical thinking skills through real-world problems and case studies. Students will work in teams to complete a project and present it at the end of the week to faculty and industry professionals.

Each day is structured to include a mixture of theory sessions from 10 a.m. to noon, with afternoon sessions dedicated to project work from 1 to 3 p.m. Virtual field trips will also be incorporated into the program.

"Students will not only be exposed to key data science techniques such as data visualization and data wrangling, but also to modern machine learning methodologies, which are all building blocks for today's AI and analytics fields," said Chinnam.

Participants should have a strong background in math and statistics, as well as interest in data analytics. The grant from TE Connectivity reduces the cost for participation to $50 per student, and scholarship opportunities are available. Registration is open at k-12.wayne.edu.

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