Data Science Mentoring – Stanford – Department of Biomedical Data Science

Today, data science knowledge is an essential component both of basic quantitative reasoning and of literacy. Our program aims to share the expertise of the Stanford community with students attending colleges with limited research opportunities, mentoring them in data science projects and research. This individualized, low stakes experience will enhance the career and study opportunities of participating students. The mentors, in turn, gain experience in educating, guiding, and interacting with students with varied backgrounds. Undergraduate students from participating colleges will be paired up with Stanford graduate students for on-line, one-on-one mentorship that will expose them to work and research in data science. During hour-long weekly meetings, they will receive: coaching in planning their course of studies and advice on navigating internship opportunities and preparing applications; tutoring in some aspects of data science; and guidance while engaging in mini-research projects, depending on their interests and experience level.

Who can participate?

Our program is a cooperation between Stanford and Carnegie Math Pathways. Participation is open to any and all undergraduate students from institutions participating in Carnegie Math Pathways programs, or other non-R1 colleges. We welcome students at any level of their educational experience, with some introductory knowledge of statistics and an interest in broadening their understanding of data science.

When will this take place?

The weekly meetings between participants and Stanford graduate students will take place between January and March 2025, using the online Zoom platform at a mutually convenient time. Please check back for details at a later date.

For Faculty

Faculty can nominate students for participation by filling out the following referral form. Please check back at a later date for more current details.

Faculty Referral Form

For Students

To express your interest and your commitment to the program, please fill in the following application form. Please check back ast a later date for the most current information.

Student Application Form

For Prospective Mentors

Please check back at a later date to see when BIODS 360 “Data Science Mentoring” will be offered for two units credit in 2025. There will be one class meeting a week, and one one-on-one meeting with your mentee. During weekly class meetings, graduate student participants will learn strategies to create an inclusive environment, approaches to effective mentoring and coaching, and techniques to develop a personalized curriculum with course staff and guest speakers. Graduate students who participated the previous year can enroll for one unit and participate in a reduced number of class meetings.

If you are at all interested in participating, please fill out the interest form below

Mentor Interest Form

What do we mean by “data science”?

Data science is not a fad. Data is not going to go away: On the contrary, it is only growing in size and becoming the basis of an increasing number of decisions, policies, etc. We are housed in the Department of Biomedical Data Science, with strong ties to Stanford Data Science. Feel free to check out these websites to learn a bit more about our work. We love wrangling with data, finding patterns, learning, and doing a mix of all of these things together.

What do they say about us?

Jean Cherizol was a member of the first IMDS cohort in Spring, 2021. He writes that the “experience has greatly motivated me to further my career in data science.” In May, 2024, he obtained a Master’s degree in data science from the University of Michigan.