College of Education Ph.D. Candidate Leads ‘Young Data Science Wizards’ Competition in India
Sai Gattupalli, a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education, led an innovative educational initiative from Jan. 19-24: a competition for high school-aged “data science wizards” in Hyderabad, India.
The event, involving 25 students from Abhyudaya High School and Delhi Public School Miyapur, is a collaboration between Gattupalli and Poulomi Chakravarty, an environment and climate science postdoctoral researcher and chair of the Global Climate Association NSDC Chapter, as well as the National Student Data Corps (NSDC) institutional chapters at UMass Amherst, the Global Climate Association and EdSutra Online Learning.
The competition featured two tracks, Climate Data Analysis and Fake News Detection, which aimed to highlight the vital role of data science in addressing pressing global issues as well as foster an understanding of data science among high school students.
“We are proud to report substantial participation—including impressive female representation in data analytics, aligning with our efforts to encourage diversity in STEM fields,” Gattupalli said. “The event also underscored the importance of integrating data science into education, especially crucial in rapidly developing economies like India.”
He added that the data science literacy initiative marked a significant advancement in the College of Education’s international educational outreach and helped strengthen global educational connections and push the boundaries of innovative learning.
“The success of this competition stands as a testament to the College’s commitment to nurturing future leaders and innovators across a spectrum of disciplines,” Gattupalli added.