Today, data science knowledge, especially the application of artificial intelligence, 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 from all 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, including AI and machine learning. 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 2027, using the online Zoom platform at a mutually convenient time.
For Students
To express your interest and your commitment to the program, please fill in the following application form.
For Prospective Mentors
BMDS 360 “Data Science Mentoring” will be offered for two credit units in Winter 2027. 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.
What do we mean by “data science”?
Data science is inherently interdisciplinary. It draws on the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, math, statistics, and computer programming to expand knowledge from raw, often unstructured data. It is now an essential field for an increasing number of decisions, policies, strategies and more. 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.
Read more about his experience here: https://www.si.umich.edu/about-umsi/news/trip-future-sports-mads-student-attends-2024-mit-sloan-sports-analytics-conference