Advancing Community-Centered Data Science: Five Years of Partnership
Please join the Data Science Institute and The 11th Hour Project to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of The 11th Hour Project and University of Chicago DSI partnership in the community-centered data science initiative.
The event will showcase the partnership’s breakthroughs and accomplishments over the past five years, demonstrating the UChicago DSI vision for community-centered data science and AI. The program will include presentations and panels featuring 11th Hour grantees and UChicago faculty, alumni and students.
Please RSVP
DSI and The 11th Hour Project
Celebrating Five-Years of Community-Centered Data Science
Thursday, May 7th, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Reception to immediately follow.
Data Science Institute
5460 S University Ave
Agenda
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Welcome
Dan Nicolae
Faculty Co-Director, Data Science Institute; Elaine M. and Samuel D. Kersten, Jr. Distinguished Service Professor, Departments of Statistics, Human Genetics, Medicine, and the College Section of Genetic Medicine; Interim Chair, Department of Statistics
Five Years of Partnership and Impact
David Uminsky
Executive Director and Research Professor, Data Science Institute
“Following the Money to Justice” with Inclusive Development International
The DSI’s partnership with Inclusive Development International spans multiple projects over 5 years, providing a unique, longitudinal case study of our community-centered data science model. Featuring DeBit and Palmwatch.
Dustin Roasa
Research Director, Inclusive Development International
Launa Greer
Software Engineer II, Data Science Institute
Trevor Spreadbury
11th Hour Software Engineer II, Data Science Institute
Modeling Water Level Sensor Networks as Graphs for Spatiotemporal Learning
Daniel Grzenda
PhD Student, Computer Science, University of Chicago
Grantee Compilation Video
David Jacobson, Data & Engineering Manager
A brief video featuring 11th Hour Project grantees from around the globe including Accountability Council, Fibershed, Minorities in Shark Sciences, GRAIN, Perpetual, Land Together, FracTracker and Remora.
Data Science Clinic Highlights
Nick Ross
Data Science Clinic Director, Data Science Institute; Associate Senior Instructional Professor
A retrospective of social impact clinic projects from the past five years and featuring current Data Science Clinic student teams for Accountability Counsel and Ecdysis.
Building Civic Data Partnerships
Mindi Mysliwiec (Senior Director of Partnerships, Data Science Institute) in conversation with Candice Stauffer (Data Analytics Lead, City of Chicago, Department of Technology & Innovation)
Data Science Social Impact Summer Program Video
Susan Paykin, Senior Associate Director Community-Centered Data Science
A brief video featuring students from the past two years of the Data Science Social Impact Summer Program.
A Conversation with Students and Alumni
"Fuels to Flows" with Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center pioneered a technique called “Fuels to Flows” that solves two problems at once: it removes vegetation that fuels forest fires and uses that same material to fill eroded gullies, slowing water runoff and preventing soil loss. The DSI built ML algorithms that can identify gullies and erosion patterns hidden under forest canopy.
Brock Dolman
WATER, RCD/Permaculture & Wildlands Program Director, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
Jim Pivarski
Staff Data Engineer, Data Science Institute
David Uminsky
Executive Director and Research Professor, Data Science Institute
Closing Remarks
Rebeka Ramangamihanta
Program Manager, Human Rights, The 11th Hour Project
Reception to Follow featuring live demonstrations of open-source tools.
Speakers
Dan Nicolae
David Uminsky (he/him)
Brock Dolman
Candice Stauffer
Dustin Roasa
Dustin Roasa
Mindi Mysliwiec (she/her)
David Jacobson (he/him)
Jim Pivarski
Trevor Spreadbury (he/him)
Trevor Spreadbury (he/him)
Daniel Grzenda
Rebeka Ramangamihanta
Harper Schwab
