Embracing a more visible focus on data science, including a new major in Data Science, Northwestern University positions itself for a leading role in the fast-evolving field.
Highlights:
- The department has already embraced new technologies and methods that tackle substantial data sets/big data.
- The Data Science minor launched in 2019, and is now the second-largest minor at Northwestern; 171 are on track to declare the new Data Science major in Fall 2022.
- Faculty, the curriculum, and the research are in place to position the department as a leader in the field of data science.
Big data continues posing a big problem – and Northwestern University is responding.
The Department of Statistics in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences has officially renamed itself the Department of Statistics and Data Science, a change that reflects increasing data science scholarship within the department as well as surging marketplace interest in big data’s power to fuel decision making.
“This is an important moment in our department’s history, as it establishes a clear direction for Northwestern in the growing field of data science,” says Ji-Ping Wang, chair of the Department of Statistics and Data Science.
Data science at the forefront
Building on the long-standing, data-centric field of statistics, which includes modeling, prediction, and presentation, the upstart data science discipline comprises a wider variety of activities to address the challenges of dealing with larger data sets. This includes data collection, management, integration, and analysis as well as computing algorithms and machine learning.
“Data science expands the scope of statistics by incorporating new technologies and methods to tackle big data,” says Wang, a professor of statistics and member of Northwestern’s groundbreaking NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology.
Over recent years, research and instruction within the Department of Statistics increasingly embraced data science, especially as substantial data sets overwhelmed leaders in areas such as business, healthcare, and government. The department’s recent renaming shines a brighter spotlight on this valuable scholarship while positioning Northwestern to expand its faculty roster across disciplines, incorporate graduate programs, and contribute ambitious research to the dynamic data science field.
“We already have faculty doing work at the frontier of data science, so this change reflects what we’re currently doing inside the department and empowers us to meet radically growing needs in data science research and teaching,” Wang says.
Preparing students, propelling collaboration
Northwestern students have displayed a robust appetite for data science courses. In fall 2019, the department launched its Data Science minor with 76 students. Today, nearly 325 students representing areas of study across the Northwestern ecosystem are pursuing a minor in Data Science, making it the second-largest minor at Northwestern. In addition, 171 are on track to declare the Data Science major this fall when it becomes an option for students.
“With our data science courses, students see a way to build new knowledge and develop skills they can leverage to capture different professional opportunities,” Wang says. “They understand these quantitative skills are especially prized today.”
In addition, Wang says, the department’s new name provides Northwestern a clear campus hub for existing and future data science initiatives, including collaborations with colleges and departments across the University, such as medicine, engineering, media, and business.
“There are limitations to handling big data, and we’re ready to be collaborators and problem solvers,” Wang says. “We have the faculty, the curriculum, and the research in place to be a leader in this field, and that is our absolute ambition.”