Engaging Minority and Underserved Populations in Health Science: Education and Training for Careers in Statistics and Data Science

• Activity Number: 129 - Engaging Minority and Underserved Populations in Health Science: Education and Training for Careers in Statistics and Data Science
• Type: Topic-Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 9, 2021 : 1:30 PM to 3:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences
• Author(s): Jeffrey Leek* and Melanie Besculides * and Veyom Bahl* and Vivian Zhang* and Doreen Thomann-Howe*
• Companies: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Robin Hood Foundation and NYC Data Science Academy and New York City Department of Family Services
• Keywords: Minority Students; Biostatistics; Data Science; Community Organization; Job Training; Vulnerable polulation

Abstract

Online teaching has the potential to deliver education to large numbers of people and has become more common during the pandemic. Cloud-based data science (CBDS) training programs, popular in the for-profit sector, is also emerging as a useful platform in the non-profit sector to disseminate statistics or data science to less advantaged populations The CBDS programs of Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore expanded to Mount Sinai at New York City is an excellent example to prepare youth from low-income group for careers in statistics and data science using this approach. Our experiences highlight the significant scope of this program to address and mitigate inequalities in the field of statistics and data science through adequate training.

This panel brings together experts to discuss how to successfully bring statistics and data science curricula to disadvantaged students not yet exposed to these subjects. We will explore how to sustainably fund future students, how to expand training to different vulnerable populations, and how to advise students who complete training programs on career steps.