Faculty, lecturers applaud graduates’ resilience during this commencement season
Faculty and lecturers across the Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society are watching their students graduate in person this week for the first time in three years. Several said they were impressed by these pupils’ strength, inspired by their success at the university and excited to see them use their skills impactfully in the professional world.
I School commencement speakers champion community, connection, collective action
On May 16, 2022, the School of Information celebrated 147 graduates of I School programs, and welcomed students back to the first in-person commencement celebration since January 2020, just before the pandemic upended so many traditions and norms.
First-generation master’s student tells us how he found data and computer sciences
When Kevin Miao arrived at UC Berkeley from the Netherlands, he wanted to study biology. Taking Data 8, an introductory data science course, helped Miao find a different path.
Advisory board for Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society announced
UC Berkeley’s Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS) announced its new advisory board, convening for the first time this week. Members of the CDSS Advisory Board represent a range of expertise and industries, including health care, finance and technology.
Data science student develops predictive model to count elephant and harbor seals using satellite images of Point Reyes National Seashore
Data science major Silas Gifford developed a predictive model to count elephant and harbor seals using satellite images of Point Reyes National Seashore. Last week, Gifford presented their Data Science Honors thesis at UC Berkeley, exploring how machine learning could assist with obtaining accurate seal counts.
UC Berkeley leaders urge California to reject harmful math education proposal
California’s Board of Education should reject a “fundamentally flawed” proposal that would encourage state public schools to replace advanced mathematics courses with data science classes, two UC Berkeley academic leaders wrote in a Los Angeles Times editorial published today.
The battle against online disinformation is urgent. Here’s what it looks like in Europe.
Disinformation has existed for centuries. But in recent years false information has proliferated faster because of social media and the wider web, harming public health, public institutions and more.
I School Ph.D. students honored with NSF graduate research fellowship
Two University of California, Berkeley, School of Information Ph.D. students, Liza Gak and Seyi Olojo, have been offered the highly-prestigious and competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award. Ph.D. student Tonya Nguyen received an honorable mention. Gak, Olojo, and Nguyen are all second-year Ph.D. students.
Data science benefits from diverse perspectives. In this Q&A, we learn from a previously incarcerated student about his journey.
Conan Minihan, a formerly incarcerated individual and current UC Berkeley data science major, spoke in a Q&A about his journey from prison to Berkeley, why he chose to study data science and what he hopes the field and he as a data scientist can do for society.
I School expert wins grant to develop language translation technology for high-stakes settings
When Niloufar Salehi was six years old, her brother swallowed a coin. Her mom didn’t speak English. So, when the ambulance got there, she translated between the doctors and her mom, a stressful task. Today, Salehi is researching how to improve machine translation in high-stakes settings, especially hospitals.