About Data Science Discovery

Prof. Karle Flanagan and Prof. Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider

Data Science DISCOVERY is an open-source platform for data science education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). We aim to be the very best data science resource on the internet while remaining completely free and accessible for anyone who wants to nerd out with data.

This initiative is led by Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider and Karle Flanagan, faculty in computer science and statistics, respectively. They created DISCOVERY when they noticed the absence of high-quality, accessible online data science content — and in that absence, they saw the potential to make UIUC a national leader in data science education.

We want every student at UIUC and beyond to have the opportunity to have meaningful experiences with data science, regardless of their background or major. We make that possible with our clear, understandable lessons and guides, real-world examples, and diverse applications across all disciplines.

Students at UIUC can enroll in STAT/CS/IS 107: Data Science Discovery to dive deeper into this material through in-person lectures with Professors Karle and Wade and weekly projects led by Teaching Assistants and Course Assistants. And as part of the land-grant mission of UIUC, DISCOVERY is provided as a free-to-consumer resource for those outside the University.

This initiative would not be possible without support from the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and The Grainger College of Engineering. We also would like to thank Associate Dean Matt Ando for advocating for data science and enabling the creation of DISCOVERY.

DISCOVERY has been supported through summer development efforts with the assistance of exceptional Illinois undergraduates, which DISCOVERY could not exist without:

  • Summer 2022: Talia Duffy, Kaitlyn Chan, Dhiraj Kuttichirayil, Emily Crawford, and Yehjee Kim
  • Summer 2021: Tamun Hanjra, Katy Miles, and Catherine Arreazola

Additionally, the course staff of STAT/CS/IS 107: Data Science Discovery contributes to the on-going growth of DISCOVERY. Our team has included:

  • Spring 2022: Esther Guan, Man Fung Leung, Paul Holaway, Vivek Bhatt, Trisha Das, Daniel Kiv, Katy Miles, Jesse Gong, Yehjee Kim, Michelle Jun, Clare Oehler-O'Sullivan, Leon Wang, Charlie Tang, Justin Kim, Tanvi Chadha, Kaitlyn Chan, Talia Duffy, Sony Jain, Shannon Dwyer, Mia Paelmo, Abhi Thanvi, Linh Pham, Jessica Santhanam, Dhiraj Kuttichirayil
  • Fall 2021: Esther Guan, Hulya Yigit, Theren Williams, Sam Jun, Man Fung Leung, Jonas Reger, Paul Holaway, Tamun Hanjra, Katy Miles, Jesse Gong, Yehjee Kim, Tanvi Chadha, Clare Oehler-O'Sullivan, Michelle Jun, Charlie Tang, Leon Wang, Ananya Kulkarni, Justin Kim
  • Spring 2020: Sogol Bazargani, Anku Adhikari, Jasmine Domingo, Dean Chou, Gabby Digan, Jesse Gong, Tamun Hanjra, Lina Hong, Katy Miles, Emily Jespen
  • Fall 2019: Hulya Yigit, Zhang Zhuoh, Sogol Bazargani, Sheng Peiyao, Abhishek Ojha, Jack (Wenzhou) Zhou, Elizabeth De Sa E Silva, Jasmine Domingo, Dean Chou, Gabby Digan, Jesse Gong, Tamun Hanjra
  • Spring 2019 (Pilot Section): Kelly Mack, Tina Abraham, and Anna Buyevich

The next big thing at Illinois is data science, and it starts with DISCOVERY. 🧡💙