As data continues to shape industries and drive global decision-making, Bucknell is embracing the future with the Dominguez Center for Data Science. Launched in Spring 2024 through a generous gift from Bucknell Trustee Michael J. Dominguez ’91, the center serves as a dynamic space for innovation and collaboration. By weaving data science into a broad range of academic disciplines, the center equips students and faculty with the tools to analyze complex problems and develop impactful solutions in an increasingly digital world.

The Dominguez Center for Data Science unites Bucknell’s three colleges—the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Management—under one roof. The center serves as a bridge for students and faculty from different academic backgrounds to collaborate on data-related projects, research and coursework.

“The Data Science Center is the intersection of all three colleges because they all have data-related applications,” says Austin Carroll ’26, a Coding Support Tutor at the center who specializes in R programming. “Here is where we all collaborate to work on data-related projects.”

Through workshops, consulting services and student-led projects, the center fosters an inclusive environment for learning and discovery. Students can receive tutoring in programming languages such as Python, R and MATLAB, or engage in data science projects with faculty mentors from various departments.

One of the center’s standout initiatives is the Data Science Student Fellows program, in which students collaborate with data science mentors and professors to apply data-driven solutions to ongoing research. Carroll highlighted some of the current interdisciplinary projects:

• Automated Movement Extraction of Children’s Dance – Led by student fellows Claire Engel ’25 and Gwen Radecki ’25 with mentors Claire Cahoon, Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship Specialist, and Haley Kragness, Assistant Professor in Psychology.
• Patriot League Soccer: A Predictive Model for Tournament Qualification – Aiden Kim ’27 and Katherine Vice ’27 are working on this project under the mentorship of Jimmy Chen, Associate Professor of Analytics & Operations Management, and PJ Steiner, Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach.
• Data-Driven Building Energy Use Visualizations and Predictions – Led by student fellows Celine Chang ’27 and Aleena Sultan ’27 with mentor Lily Li, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

These projects showcase how data science can be applied across disciplines, from performing arts to sports analytics and sustainability.

One of the key goals of the Dominguez Center is to make data science accessible to all students, regardless of their prior experience with coding or analytics. The center offers workshops and tutoring sessions to help students develop their technical skills.

“We offer office hours to support students coding in R, Python and MATLAB,” Carroll explains. “We also have senior fellows who help Data Science Student Fellows with their projects and mentors.” Additionally, the center provides faculty support through professional development workshops. Carroll, who works as a Teaching Assistant for an R workshop for faculty and staff, describes how these sessions help professors integrate data science into their research and coursework.

“It’s for professors who have little experience with R but want to use it for their research. Each workshop covers a topic in R, like data wrangling or modeling.”

Data wrangling, as Carroll describes it, involves cleaning and organizing datasets to prepare them for analysis—an essential skill for anyone working with large amounts of information.

As a statistics major, Carroll’s work at the center aligns with his academic and professional aspirations. His passion for data science extends beyond the classroom, as he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Biostatistics with a focus on public health applications.

“I want to work in third-world countries to help increase access to fresh drinking water, or in epidemiology to help control and prevent outbreaks, like lowering the prevalence of HIV,” he shares. “I can work with epidemiologists and public health professionals to help solve those problems, like helping to run clinical trials.”

Through his role as a Coding Support Tutor, Carroll not only strengthens his technical skills but also enjoys helping fellow students understand complex programming concepts.

“I tutor people in R, coordinate office hours and help spread awareness about the center’s services through in-class presentations,” he says. “I especially enjoy collaborating with my peers and clarifying difficult ideas for students.”

The launch of Bucknell’s new data science co-major, available to students in business analytics, computer science, statistics and mathematics, signals a growing interest in data-related fields on campus. Carroll predicts that the center will continue to expand as more students recognize the value of data science skills in their careers.

“I think more incoming students will be majoring in statistics, and eventually data science will follow the same trend,” he says. “More students will graduate with data science as one of their majors, which will help grow the center.”

For students interested in incorporating data science into their studies, Carroll’s advice is simple: “Try to maintain the skills in coding that you develop in your classes. It’s always good to preserve your skills in those areas because they will likely serve you in any career in the data science industry.”

As the Dominguez Center for Data Science continues to evolve, it remains a vital resource for the Bucknell community. Whether through tutoring, faculty workshops or interdisciplinary research projects, the center ensures that students and faculty alike are equipped with the skills and knowledge to harness the power of data in innovative ways.

And for those looking for an extra incentive to visit the center in Taylor Hall, Carroll adds with a smile: “There are always snacks and refreshments here for students who stop by!”