University Data Science Committee

University Data Science Committee

The MSU Data Science Program is governed under the general direction of the University Data Science Committee (UDSC).

Purpose

The purpose of the UDSC shall be to grow Mississippi State University (MSU) through data science research, teaching, and service, as well as advancing the art of the field of data science.

To achieve this purpose, the UDSC will

  • Facilitate intellectual innovations and promote the intellectual contributions of MSU faculty to internal and external audiences.
  • Promote and encourage ethical and trustworthy scholarship in data science.
  • Advance education and training in data science through innovative curriculum content and delivery.
  • Advocate for data science infrastructure, coordinate existing resources, and identify needs for required technologies to be made available to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Develop and expand applications of data science through coordinated research, teaching, and community engagement.
  • Develop relationships with local, national, and international partners.
  • Recruit and retain high-quality students for the data science degree programs and courses.
  • Expand the footprint of data science as a discipline throughout courses and research occurring across MSU units.

In pursuing these objectives, the UDSC serves students, faculty, researchers, staff at MSU and beyond, as well as the public sector and business community.

Responsibilities

The UDSC is responsible for advancing the state of data science at MSU through the following functions:

  • Coordinating the Bachelor of Science in Data Science, the graduate certificate in Data Science Pedagogy, and future data science degree programs proposed by the committee.
  • Reviewing and approving curriculum proposals once approved by their respective colleges for the bachelor’s degree program before they are submitted to the University Committee on Courses & Curricula.
  • Coordinating accreditation and assessment efforts for the bachelor’s degree program and courses.
  • Continuously assessing existing curriculum in the bachelor’s degree program to be up to date with the state of the field.
  • Reviewing capstone projects and coordinating student internship and research opportunities for majors in the BS in Data Science.
  • Supporting the growth of existing data science-related programs on campus, such as the Master of Science in Data Science, the graduate certificate in Computational Biology, and the undergraduate endorsement in Cyber Criminology.
  • Advocating for resources and opportunities that support data science education and research at MSU.
  • Recruiting and retaining students interested in data science degrees, careers, and research opportunities.
  • Promoting data science–related research and events.
  • Developing domestic and global partnerships with industry, educational institutions, and community partners.
  • Promoting data science through study abroad opportunities.

By-Laws and Other Documents

Current By-Laws (Adopted 11/30/2022): Download

Bachelor's Capstone Guidelines (Modified 4/26/2023): Download

Committee Members

Below is the current membership of the University Data Science Committee, updated Fall 2023.

Chair
Dan Gadke

Bagley College of Engineering
Andy Perkins, Kari Babski-Reeves

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Will Davis, Xin Zhang

College of Architecture, Art, & Design
Bimal Balakrishnan, Duane McLemore

College of Arts & Sciences
Melanie Loehwing, Mohammad Sepehrifar, Mohsen Razzaghi

College of Business
Stephen France, Merrill Warkentin

College of Education
Dan Gadke, Kim Hall

College of Forest Resources
Jason Street, Guiming Wang

College of Veterinary Medicine
Bindu Nanduri, David Smith

Data Science
Mimmo Parisi, Jonathan Barlow

MSU Library
Carolina Siniscalchi, Deborah Lee

College of Professional & Continuing Studies
Sean Owen and Ryan Walker

Health Sciences, Meridian Campus
David Buys

Provost and Executive Vice President
Peter Ryan

Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies
Jamie Dyer

Office of Admissions and Scholarships
John Dickerson

Information Technology Services
Trey Breckenridge

Honors College
Undergraduate Research and Creative Discovery
Anastasia Elder