Conversation at UC Berkeley workshop shares perspectives on AI and humanity
A recent discussion at the National Workshop on Data Science Education illustrated the value of open conversation about the impact of AI on humanity.
Safiya Noble, an internet studies scholar, social scientist and UCLA professor, joined Jennifer Chayes, dean of the UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS), during a June 24 afternoon session on the Berkeley campus. Their wide-ranging conversation considered the importance of critical thinking and interdisciplinary education, and the need for open systems to expand access to, and participation in, the development and use of AI technologies.
UC Berkeley alumni share insights on data science career paths at National Workshop
In a week filled with panels on pedagogy, curriculum design and emerging technologies in the classroom, the 2025 National Workshop on Data Science Education paused to ask a critical question: What comes next for the students we teach?
A panel of UC Berkeley alumni offered their perspectives, reflecting on how their undergraduate experience shaped their careers, what they wish they'd known earlier and how educators can better prepare students for a changing workforce.
Data Science Undergraduate Studies and Puente partner to inspire underrepresented students in STEM
This summer, we partnered with the Puente MaS program to introduce CA community college students underrepresented in STEM to the field of data science. Through student narratives, a career professional's advice, and information from our Data Science Undergraduate Studies team, the students discovered pathways into a major many had never heard of.
UC Berkeley convenes, connects California data science education pioneers
Dozens of California public educators walked into a sunlight streaked, first floor-room at the edge of UC Berkeley in late June. Hugging each other and snagging coffee or water, they navigated blue and gold star-shaped balloons to settle at tables facing a projector screen.
These scholars are part of a state effort to make California the nation’s leader in excellent, equitable and accessible undergraduate data science education. For the next two days, the assembled attendees would share how they’re building programming, community or pathways to do just that...
About our educational partnerships
UC Berkeley's Data Science Undergraduate Studies is dedicated to making high-quality data science education accessible beyond Berkeley. Through partnerships with other institutions, we strive to broaden access and impact.
Our approach to data science education:
- Empowers student discovery. Through our approachable foundations course and by developing curricula add-ons for other disciplines, we seed opportunities for students to discover this burgeoning field.
- Bridges disciplines. We view data science as an interdisciplinary field with applications spanning from the sciences to the humanities and we promote connections across these diverse areas.
- Integrates human contexts and ethics. Our curricula incorporates human contexts and ethical considerations, equipping students to make responsible and impactful decisions in their careers.
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Media
Recent Data Science Graduates: Storytelling Through Data Journalism
In the last episode of the season, as always, we sit down with some recent Data Science graduates from UC Berkeley. Today, we talked with Ian Castro, Political Database Manager at Equis Research and former DATA 8 course staff member, who talked about how teaching and building foundational data science courses shaped his commitment to tackling issues like housing, inequality, and political representation. We also talked with Lydia Sidhom, Data Reporter at The Washington Post, who reflected on how her experiences with DATA 8 and working for the Daily Cal helped pull her towards data journalism.
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Crossing Disciplines with AI: A Conversation with "My Robot Teacher"
Today, we speak with Sarah Senk and Taiyo Inoue, co-hosts of My Robot Teacher, which is a podcast affiliated with the California Learning Lab. Sarah and Taiyo discuss how they both bring their respective lenses of comparative literature and mathematics to examine the question and implementation of AI in education, sharing concrete classroom and academic policy uses for LLMs. They touch on academic integrity through a restorative-justice lens, the idea of AI as an opaque cultural archive, and examining higher education as a “slow disaster.” Finally, they end with valuable advice for faculty listening in, giving tips on how to approach AI.
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Faculty and Student Voices from Cal Poly Humboldt: Data Science in Action
In this episode, we speak with Kamila Larripa, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Data Science Program Lead at Cal Poly Humboldt, along with her former students John Gerving and Jonathan Juarez. Kamila shares about the development of Humboldt’s new Data Science major and its "data for good” mission, as well as her California Education Learning Lab project, which builds a cross-campus community of practice, fosters data literacy, and bring climate justice modules into introductory science courses for students. Students John and Jonathan reflect on their undergraduate research experiences, highlighting how real-world data projects helped identify their interests and build collaboration skills.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts