HOUGHTON, N.Y., March 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The newly established Center for Data Science Analytics (CDSA) at Houghton College has just launched the center's new website with the mission to "act as a focal point for coordinating Houghton College's data science activity, creating an environment for multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation, alongside educating the next generation of data scientists." The website can be viewed at www.houghtoncdsa.org.
Carmen McKell '87, founding director of the CDSA, said, "Because of the interdisciplinary nature of data science, the CDSA collaborates with many disciplines at Houghton College, including mathematics, computer science, psychology and communication to name a few. As it grows, the CDSA will act as a catalyst to support data science activity, working with faculty and students across many other departments within the college."
The website features pages where visitors can learn more about the CDSA, the field of data science and the data science projects in which Houghton students have been involved, including their experiential learning trips to the Hilton Head Golfweek Championships, Silicon Valley and Super Bowl 50. Visitors can also read an interactive blog written by members of the CDSA team, data science students and guest data scientists.
Prospective students are able to gain information about the new data science program at Houghton, learn about internship opportunities through Houghton's Vocational Opportunities and Career Advancement Center and connect with current data science students.
CDSA activities are fully integrated within the College and are designed to support, coordinate and promote the data science community at Houghton College including activities such as research, experiential learning, data science consulting projects, internships, co-curricular programs like bootcamps, webinars, speaker series, online courses, etc. In the future, the CDSA hopes to create a variety of data science labs where the above activities can flourish.
Most recently, data science students had the opportunity to visit Tableau, an innovative computer software company specializing in data science, and engage with the company's new analytic software, Vizable. Tableau wrote a blog about the students' experiences at vizable.tableau.com/blog and a video of the experience can be seen at www.houghtoncdsa.org/houghton-at-tableau
McKell said, "Houghton College, being a Christian liberal arts college, is well positioned to graduate the next generation of data scientists who will become leaders in using data to solve some of the world's most challenging problems, like homelessness and the elimination of diseases and poverty, to mention a few. Students taking data science at Houghton College will have the skills and experience to know how to use data to enhance decision making, and will also have an ethical framework to ensure data are used in the most responsible ways, especially when difficult decisions are required."
Houghton College is one of the first Christian liberal arts colleges in the nation to offer a bachelor's degree in data science. The CDSA provides students with opportunities for research, experiential learning activities, data science consulting projects, internships, and co-curricular programs. The CDSA is planning to host an official launch this fall.
For more information about data science at Houghton College, please visit www.houghton.edu/data-science.
Photos accompanying this release are available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=39566
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=39567
