An Academic and Industry Partnership Training the Next Generation of Data Scientists

• Activity Number: 429 - Strategic Statistical Partnerships Impacting Health and Education for the Public Good
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 6, 2020 : 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM
• Sponsor: Stats. Partnerships Among Academe Indust. & Govt. Committee
• Author(s): Amy Wagaman and Nicholas Horton*
• Companies: Amherst College and Amherst College
• Keywords: partnership; MassMutual; Five Colleges; DataFest; data science

Abstract

A partnership between the Five College Statistics Program (which includes Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst) and MassMutual has proven mutually beneficial for training the next generation of data scientists. We will discuss the status of data science at each institution, and how MassMutual has supported these various programs through funding, staffing, and both hosting and supporting events, such as providing consultants for DataFest. The students benefit from access to data scientists at the company currently working on real problems, who share their real world experience and their passion for data science.