Topology for Data Science: An Introductory Workshop for Undergraduates

Montana State University, Bozeman MT

Investigators

Abstract

Topology for Data Science (T4DS) is a day-long workshop designed to introduce undergraduate students to data science and topology, to be held on March 25, 2020, in Bozeman, MT. The workshop is scheduled to coincide with the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR)---a gathering of nearly 4,000 talented undergraduate students from across the world---hosted by Montana State University, March 26-28. This award will support the development and dissemination of workshop materials and will fund travel and participation of 28 undergraduates. An additional 22 students from local communities or those already planning to attend NCUR will also have the opportunity to participate. For a day, the participants will be immersed in the fast-growing area of data science, through the lens of topology. This workshop is the first of its kind: T4DS engages students in a hands-on, collaborative experience, requiring only discrete mathematics and a desire to try something new as prerequisites. T4DS will start with an overview of how to "think with data" through data exploration and visualization, continuing with a brief journey into the field of topology and how to use topological descriptors to summarize data. In the afternoon, students will investigate how to cluster data based on those topological descriptors, and will apply what they've learned to a new data set. The day will conclude with a reception, where a panel of five faculty members representing topology and data science will discuss their experiences with including undergraduates in research and potential career opportunities in data science. The content of T4DS will cross the disciplinary lines of computer science, statistics, and mathematics. It will blend topological data analysis, data mining, and broader data science content, delivered using an active-learning pedagogy. Most of the participants will not have any experience in topology, yet they will cluster data using topological descriptors, which will give them a glimpse into the topological data cycle. Moreover, this workshop will lay the foundation for developing materials on other aspects of data science, which will allow the organizers to broaden the offering of similar tutorials throughout Montana and surrounding states, including tribal colleges and geographically remote rural areas. After the workshop, tutorials will be distributed through Github and the Carpentries Lab---a repository of high-quality, community-reviewed, discoverable lessons--- reaching a large, diverse, international community. The conference website and workshop application can be found at http://www.montana.edu/datascience/t4ds/. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.