1,000+ MicroMasters, a new graduate fellowship, systemic racism research, and more
IDSS News February 2023
IDSS is gearing up for an exciting spring! Please be sure to register for our upcoming IDSS Celebration (April 13-14), where we will reflect on the successes and future of IDSS! We are also proud to be bringing the Women in Data Science conference to Cambridge for a seventh year on March 10. I hope to see you there.
IDSS began the spring semester by hitting a milestone: over 1,000 learners from around the world have completed the MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science. Developed and delivered by IDSS faculty, this online program is a signature piece of how IDSS makes good on our commitment to advancing the education of data science.
I am also very pleased to be able to announce the launch of a new fellowship within IDSS to support graduate students, the Fortunato and Catalina Brescia Fellowship. This comes about thanks to a generous gift from BREIT, an IDSS Strategic Partner.
New research from the IDSS Initiative on Combatting Systemic Racism (ICSR) looks at antiracism, games, and immersive media, as well as how AI bias can influence emergency decisions. Included below are also examples of interesting student work in topics ranging from urban planning to pollution and wind power.
Best wishes for a great spring!
Munther Dahleh, Director
William A. Coolidge Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The role-playing game “On the Plane,” developed by researchers within the IDSS Initiative on Combatting Systemic Racism, simulates xenophobia to foster greater understanding and reflection via virtual experiences.
However, harm can be minimized if the advice it delivers is properly framed, an MIT team including SES student Hammaad Adam and IDSS faculty member Fotini Christia has shown.
SES student Cate Heine examines how slow zones can make cities more pedestrian friendly, encourage alternative modes of mobility, and create social gathering spaces.
A new study co-authored by TPP director Noelle Selin and SES alum Minghao Qiu (PhD ’21) finds that the health benefits of using wind energy could quadruple if the most polluting power plants are selected for dialing down.
A one-day conference featuring an all-female line up of speakers and panelists from academia and industry to talk about the latest data science-related research.
IDSS reflects on its impact in research and education since its launch in 2015 and explores future opportunities with thought leaders and policy experts.
