The Data Mine program at Purdue gives hands-on data science experience

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Developing data science knowledge for all students at Purdue is The Data Mine program's main focus, especially with the modern prevalence of digital devices.

Sabrina Dopp, a Purdue junior studying general management, has been participating in real-world data science experiments through The Data Mine program.

“Most people have to go find internships to get these experiences” Dopp said in a release. “What I like about the Data Mine is it provides internship-level experience with an educational level of support.”

The Data Mine is a "large-scale learning community," according to its website, for undergraduate and graduate students from all majors that is focused on the "Data Science for All" mindset.

“We are excited that many students from different institutions will collaborate on cutting-edge research and industry experiences,” Mark Daniel Ward, director of The Data Mine and a professor of statistics, said of the project.

The National Data Mine Network, a collaborative project between Purdue and the American Statistical Association aims to promote learning from data and using it as a tool to help problem solve in the world's data-heavy society, according to the release.

"The students will use high-performance computing to solve data-driven challenges that arise in every sector of industry, including biomedical engineering, health care engineering, image processing, manufacturing, supply chain management and transportation," the release states. "The National Data Mine Network will directly fund 300 undergraduate students at a cross-section of minority-serving institutions with 100 research stipends per year."

Ward further elaborated that the benefits of The Data Mine program go beyond the students' benefits. Faculty at any of the partnered institutions – Rice University, American University, American Statistical Association and the Atlanta University Center Data Science Initiative – will also be able to learn and gain experience regarding hands-on, data-focused projects.

There are currently 800 students on-board to work towards The Data Mine's future innovation projects, including 300 undergraduate and graduate students from the programs partners.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: The Data Mine program at Purdue gives hands-on data science experience