Justin Gross, Director of the Data Analytics and Computational Social Sciences (DACSS) program at UMass Amherst, brings an eclectic background to his role. Gross, who joined UMass as an assistant professor of political science in 2015, is a member of the team that came up with the idea for the DACSS Master’s, which he now directs jointly under Public Policy and Data Analytics.
Before joining UMass, Gross was part of the faculty at UNC Chapel Hill and previously earned his PhD in statistics and public policy from Carnegie Mellon, adding to his broad academic journey that also includes a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and a master’s in Mathematics.
As director of DACSS, Gross embraces the program’s mission to bridge data literacy with social good, and appreciates the ability he has to implement new ideas and work closely with talented staff and faculty.
“We're living in a time where there's enormous misinformation and disinformation and misuse of or just outright lying about the facts,” explains Gross, “and having a grounding in how to formally learn about the world, and how we can change it through evidence, and how to interpret that and communicate that to people, is really important.”
Gross especially enjoys connecting and working closely with students, particularly those who face challenges with quantitative subjects. He aims to create a supportive environment, and encourages students to explore new ideas and confront obstacles. He reflects on his own journey, saying “I went through my 20s like bouncing around and trying everything. So I like being able to hopefully be an example and be like, ‘don’t freak out if you don’t know exactly what you’re going to do now.’”
DACSS is unique because it brings a social science perspective to data analytics and prepares students for work in different fields. Gross emphasized the program's goal of preparing students for roles in the public sector, social good initiatives, and using data for good in private industry.
“I think about how to tell the rich qualitative story and use quantification and statistics in support of that,” said Gross, adding, “that's kind of a major part of what I try to bring to the DACSS program.”