David Lattanzi, Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, is developing a curricular framework for data science education and workforce development that is transferable between diverse institutions, so STEM-related programs can plug and play data science lessons with existing curricula without much overhead. These lessons will be created in conjunction with community stakeholders and industry partners to ensure a focus on real-world problem-solving and include student organizations in course development to promote flexible learning pathways. The proposed additions to undergraduate STEM education will provide an evidence-based blueprint for best practices in integrating data science with existing engineering curricula.
Lattanzi holds that implementation of this curricula across multiple engineering departments will result in a significant impact on society through the training of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce with high data literacy.
"My hope is that this project helps faculty across the country incorporate modern data science concepts into their existing classes, with a minimum of time and hassle for the instructors," he said.
Lattanzi will receive $120,061 from the National Science Foundation for this project. Funding will begin in October 2021 and will end in late September 2024.
###
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia's largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 38,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at http://www.gmu.edu.