Fifth Annual Rising Stars in Data Science Celebrates 30 Early-Career Data Scientists

The fifth annual Rising Stars in Data Science workshop took place November 14-15. This year included two updates to the annual gathering with the event hosting duties handled by the University of California San Diego Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) and the addition of Stanford University joining UChicago and HDSI as an organizing institution. Faculty from all three schools reviewed applicants, mentored selected Rising Stars, and presented during panel discussions. The annual workshop, started by UChicago DSI four years ago, has hosted 165 Rising Stars from 44 institutions over the past five years with 30 Rising Stars participating in 2024.  The workshop focuses on celebrating and fast-tracking the careers of exceptional data scientists at a critical inflection point in their career: the transition to postdoctoral scholar, research scientist, industry research position, or tenure track position.

This year’s event at HDSI brought together a vibrant community of early-career researchers and mentors interested in shaping the future of data science and AI. Attendees explored career pathways, cutting-edge research, and the various ways data science and AI are reshaping the world.

After kick off remarks from Virginia de Sa (UCSD), David Uminsky (University of Chicago), and Chris Mentzel (Stanford Data Science), participants heard from panels focused on navigating data science and AI career trajectories; practical job search strategies featuring insider views from candidates and search committee members; tips for making the most of the first year as an assistant professor; and the secrets to building a successful long-term career in academia. Each panel featured faculty from UCSD, Stanford, and UChicago.

Rising Stars delivered lightning talks during concurrent sessions across topics including Machine Learning (ML), Trustworthy AI, Health Data Science, AI’s Societal Impact, Applied Math in ML, and Human-Centered AI.  Each Rising Star received one-on-one mentorship during the workshop and participated in a poster session. UChicago’s Peter Lu, Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellow, and YoonHaeng Hur, sixth year PhD in Statistics, were both selected as Rising Stars this year. 

The Rising Stars in Data Science workshop will travel again next year with Stanford taking over the hosting duties. Congratulations to all the Rising Stars in Data Science of 2024!