April 10, 2020

What People Are Saying About Diversity in Analytics and Leadership (DIAL)

“I highly recommend any college student curious about or aspiring to join the field of data analytics to apply for a wonderful experience.”

— Wayne Chim, Senior at Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College and 2019 Diversity in Analytics and Leadership Participant

The 2020 DIAL program application deadline is now Friday, April 17. With the deadline one week away, Abigail Johnson, manager of DIAL and project manager at Kitamba, sat down to capture more from Mr. Chim on his DIAL experience.

Abigail. What role do you see DIAL playing in an undergraduate education?

Wayne. [DIAL] helps students understand that the purpose of analytics goes beyond the numbers on the spreadsheet - and into the story and people portrayed by it. The program emphasized the appropriate attitude and set of standards data analysts should have and uphold.

Abigail. I’m glad that came across so clearly. Attitude and standards matter so much in research projects. In order for data to be comprehensive - and ultimately for societal solutions to challenges like pandemics or inequities in education to be useful - we must collect, unearth and consider all relevant angles and perspectives hidden in and around data. How did you see this play out in class?

Wayne. It was very interesting to hear other students’ perspectives during a brainstorm and discussion around possible features to research - given a topic and means of acquiring the information.

It was also awesome to see the support and hear insightful feedback from professionals already working in the field of analytics. Students completed a project independently and presented it to Kitamba staff, [research and analysis] professionals who were part of the mentorship subprogram, and peers. I still keep in touch with several people I met from the program, including my mentor.

[DIAL Instructors] created a respectful and comfortable environment, which made it very enjoyable to learn and interact. They took the time to get to know the students and tried to build more meaningful and lasting relationships. I remember them going beyond the scope of the program to offer me tips on how to improve my own presentation for class.

DIAL is open to undergraduate students of all majors in New York City. Come learn why having a diverse set of perspectives matters in data analysis, practice using inclusive research methods, and even have input into the design of your own experience.

(Questions: diversityindataanalytics@gmail.com)