Michigan Tech Expands Data Science Programs to Meet Demand

Environmental data science is the latest addition to Michigan Technological University‘s undergraduate programs, aiming to equip students with skills to visualize, manage, and understand data for solving global challenges. David Flaspohler, dean of Michigan Tech’s College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES), realized the importance of such data four years ago, inspired by his daughter’s work in the MIT computer science Ph.D. program, where she predicted locations of deep-sea thermal vents using environmental data.

The new program starting in fall 2024 will benefit from Michigan Tech’s distinct academic environment, providing insights into issues like forest reactions to climate change and the impact of new wolves on the Isle Royale National Park moose population. Flaspohler noted the complexity of tracking 64 GPS-collared moose, generating millions of data points yearly, which traditional methods struggle to analyze, highlighting data science’s utility.

While based in CFRES, the degree will involve collaboration across Michigan Tech’s colleges, including Biological Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and College of Computing. Laura Brown, associate dean of data science initiatives, emphasized the importance of interdepartmental collaboration, highlighting the wide-ranging applications of data science. Brown’s journey reflects the field’s rapid growth, noting Michigan Tech’s pioneering role since starting discussions in 2012 and launching a data science master’s in 2014.

Brown dismisses the stereotype of isolated data scientists, stressing teamwork to decode complex problems. The expanding need for data scientists stems from the unprecedented scale of data collection and analysis, essential for industries and domains worldwide.

Source: Michigan Tech Expands Data Science Programs to Meet Demand.