Performing Department
Center for Predictive Analytic
Non Technical Summary
Thanks to advancements in computational power, agriculturists can now use rich data sources to explore novel ways to optimize, improve, and sustain plant production systems. To meet this need, employment opportunities for data scientists are expected to grow by 36% over the next decade. The most desirable applicants for these positions will be graduates who can collaborate effectively within a team setting and who have an understanding of both data science and the laboratory, field, and greenhouse settings where data are generated.The overall goal of this project is to provide undergraduate experiential training opportunities that combine data science and crop science. The program consists of two tracks: the Explorers track, and the Fellows track. Explorers will be introduced to the applications of data science in crop science through a week-long summer data science bootcamp where they will use computational skillsets to derive meaning from real-world examples, and they will work in teams to present the findings of their short projects. Students in the Fellows track will be immersed in a fully funded, two-year research experience. Fellows will be placed with a professor in a research area of their choosing to gain practical laboratory, greenhouse, and/or field experience. They will work with their mentors to design an independent study project that combines these research skills with data science, and they will present the results of their project to the scientific community and to the public. Upon completion of the project, 200 Explorers and 16 Fellows will have been trained.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
60%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overall objective of the proposed Experiential Learning In Applied Statistics & Data Science (ELIAS-DS) program is to provide experiential training opportunities to students at the intersection of data science and crop science. We plan to accomplish this using a combination of data-intensive research experiences, data science bootcamps, and workshops that explore data science applications in crop science. Students emerging from both pathways will have gained the applied data science skillset necessary to be competitive applicants to the workforce or graduate school. The ELIAS-DS program will train students to achieve three specific objectives:Data Science Technical Skills: Develop students' understanding of data science through hands-on training with real-world data.Mentorship: Foster mentorships with faculty that lead to the successful retention and placement of students in their desired career tracks.Application and Communication: Enhance students' ability to use data science tools to solve research questions in crop science and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
Project Methods
Training hubs will be established in the Southern and Central regions of Illinois at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), respectively, with virtual options being created as needed to accommodate students. Two pathways will be created for students to engage in the ELIAS-DS program. Forty ELIAS Explorers (up to 20 at each hub) will participate in a summer data science bootcamp each year, and they will be provided with free access to data science workshops offered by the host sites during the academic year. From the ELIAS Explorers, four ELIAS Fellows will be selected each year. These fellows will engage in a fully funded, up to two-year experiential research project that marries data science with crop science. Both Explorers and Fellows will be assigned a mentor that will provide guidance until the student graduates. Across the five years of the project, a total of 200 ELIAS Explorers and at least 16 ELIAS Fellows will be trained.Students will be recruited from all 15 of the 4-year public institutions that are part of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), as well as community colleges within Illinois. Students must be a rising Sophomore, Junior, or Senior pursuing a degree in Crop Science, Plant Science, or a closely related discipline (e.g., Environmental Science, Geography, etc.) with an interest in crop or environmental science. Explorers applications will be submitted via an online form submission on the ELIAS-DS website. All applications will be anonymized and will be evaluated by a selection committee consisting of the primary mentors and faculty representatives from the partnering institutions. Explorers will be selected based on academic merit and essays responses. The Fellows application will be an addendum to the Explorers application and will be due in June following the Summer Data Science Bootcamp. Fellows will be selected based on the recommendation of the External Advisory Board. Fellows will be selected based on academic merit, demonstrated career interests, aptitude demonstrated at the summer bootcamp, and character reference. Fellows will be paired with research mentors that align well with their interests, and mentors may be faculty at any institution within the IIN.Students in the Explorers track will participate in a week-long Summer Data Science Bootcamp that will be hosted at SIUE and UIUC during two different weeks in May, with virtual options being arranged as needed. Students will learn valuable skills in effective communication, goal setting, conflict resolution, advanced Excel, Power BI, R, data analysis, ArcGIS, remote sensing, Python, and machine learning. The first half of each day during the bootcamp will be instruction with hands-on examples. The second half of each day will be dedicated to group work and presentations that apply the skills students have learned to real-world datasets.Upon returning to their home campuses in the fall, ELIAS Fellows will begin their two-year research experience. Students will typically complete the research experience at their home institution during the academic year, but they may also elect to work full-time toward their research experience during the summer at either their home campus or another IIN institution. During the first year of the research experience, students will gain hands-on experience in a research area of their choosing, such as plant breeding, agronomy, etc. At the end of the first-year research experience, Fellows will meet with their mentors to design an independent research project that combines data science and crop science to be undertaken during the second year of the fellowship. Fellows will present their research to a diversity of audiences in the second year of the fellowship experience, including professional conferences, undergraduate research symposia, and the ELIAS Spring Event. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in data science workshops that are offered through the hub institutions. They will also take two courses in statistics (introductory statistics and experimental design), and a professional certification course in either R or Python.A core belief of the ELIAS-DS program is that retention and student achievement rely on mentorship and student support. All students will be paired with at least one mentor that will serve as a mentor throughout the duration of their undergraduate careers, even upon completion of ELIAS-DS program activities. Mentors will help students explore career paths, navigate challenges, and identify opportunities for additional training. All students will work with their mentors to develop a personalized career plan, identify milestones, and chart steps for reaching those milestones. Both Explorers and Fellows will receive guidance in preparation for graduate school or their careers. At the beginning of the fall semester of their senior year, students will meet with primary mentors, graduate school representatives at the hub institutions, and current graduate students to discuss the application process, types of funding opportunities, and any questions related to graduate school that the students wish to ask. The students will meet individually with their mentor(s) to re-evaluate their career goals after the ELIAS-DS experiences. Based on the students' interests, mentors will help students connect with personnel at different institutions within the United States, as well as with industry personnel. Special care has also been taken to cover all financial considerations of the project, including the offering of competitive stipends to allow students to participate in program activities. Through these considerations, it is anticipated that students will have the supports necessary to be successful in both the program and in their future endeavors. An External Advisory Board will oversee the programmatic evaluation aspects of the project and will use both formative and summative assessment instruments to provide feedback to project personnel.