Data Science for Social Good and the Psychology Data Science Option

Data science and the need to train future leaders in using data science to help solve evolving problems is an ever-growing area of interest in psychological research. Fortunately, the University of Washington is a leader in research and training on data management, machine learning, data visualization, software engineering, human-centered data science, and their application in data-intensive research across all fields.

Psychology graduate student Rebecca Schachtman (4th year, Social Psychology and Personality area) is a student fellow in the eScience Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) summer program. The DSSG program is open to students from all over the country who are interested in using data science.

The program provides an opportunity to participate on a team of researchers to take on one of this year’s projects in a 10-week long, full-time program from June 10 to August 16, 2024. Projects will involve a range of stakeholders, including academic researchers, government officials, non-profit organizations, and the general public. Students will participate in a wide range of data science tutorials, workshops, and meetings with experts in their fields in an immersive experience. Schachtman will contribute to the team focused on “Understanding Unsheltered Homelessness in King County: UW 2023 Seattle Area Homeless Count.”

“Through this program, I hope to learn how to leverage data science to answer bigger, more complicated, and more applied research questions than I can with my current skill set. DSSG poses a valuable opportunity to gain skills in data science and work collaboratively to apply them to a meaningful social issue,” explains Schachtman.

The University of Washington eScience Institute, also serves as the hub for data science at UW and has established a Ph.D. option in data science that is open to graduate students at the University of Washington, and specifically within the Department of Psychology, who are interested in learning more about these tools and their application. Schachtman anticipates completing a Ph.D. in Psychology: Data Science by summer 2025.