Data Science for Social Impact Summer Experience
The Data Science for Social Impact (DSSI) Summer Experience is an 8-week paid research program for undergraduate students who are passionate about pursuing research and data science to make a positive social impact. The summer includes intensive coursework and applied research training, where students work in teams on social impact data science research projects covering topics such as climate, health, policy, human rights, and financial inclusion. At DSSI, students hone their data science skills in research methods and teamwork, while learning how to engage with real-world data science problems.
The Data Science for Social Impact Summer Experience will be held June 15 – August 7, 2026. Applications for Summer 2026 will open in early 2026.
Partner Institutions
We are grateful to work in partnership with a national network of colleges and universities committed to research and education in data science for social impact. The DSSI Summer Experience was created in 2023 in partnership with faculty from City Colleges of Chicago, California State Fresno, Howard University, Morehouse College, North Carolina State University, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Texas San Antonio, and University of Chicago Data Science Institute. We are thrilled to expand this exciting network in 2025 to faculty partners at Chicago State University, Florida A&M University, Morehouse College, Prairie View A&M University, University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, and Spelman College.
Learn more about students and their research projects from the 2024 program and 2023 program.
DSSI Summer program students at their final research presentations in August 2024.
Funders and supporters
DSSI is generously supported by The 11th Hour Project, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation. DSSI launched in 2023 with the generous support of data.org and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth through the Capacity Accelerator Network.
DSSI Leadership
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David Uminsky (he/him)
Executive Director and Research Professor, Data Science Institute -
Mindi Mysliwiec (she/her)
Senior Director of Partnerships & Chief of Staff, Data Science Institute -
Susan Paykin (she/her)
Senior Associate Director, Community-Centered Data Science
David Uminsky joined the University of Chicago in September 2020 as a senior research associate and Executive Director of Data Science. He was previously an associate professor of Mathematics and Executive Director of the Data Institute at University of San Francisco (USF). His research interests are in machine learning, signal processing, pattern formation, and dynamical systems. David is an associate editor of the Harvard Data Science Review. He was selected in 2015 by the National Academy of Sciences as a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow. He is also the founding Director of the BS in Data Science at USF and served as Director of the MS in Data Science program from 2014-2019. During the summer of 2018, David served as the Director of Research for the Mathematical Science Research Institute Undergrad Program on the topic of Mathematical Data Science.
Before joining USF he was a combined NSF and UC President’s Fellow at UCLA, where he was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for outstanding postdoctoral research. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Boston University and a BS in Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College.
Mindi has experience managing, sourcing and scoping a portfolio of data science experiential learning partnerships across social impact organizations, corporate, civic and government entities. Mindi managed earlier iterations of our work with the 11th Hour Project at the University of San Francisco where she served as the Senior Director of Strategy and Operations of the Data Institute. Mindi is a member (inactive) of the California and Illinois bars and received her JD from University of California College of the Law, San Francisco and her BS, Political Science from Santa Clara University.
Susan Paykin is the Senior Associate Director, Community-Centered Data Science, at the DSI, where she oversees social impact and strategic partnership initiatives across the organization’s research, education, and engagement. She is also the Program Lead of the Open Spatial Lab where she leads geospatial data science projects and partner engagement. Susan was previously the Research Manager at the Center for Spatial Data Science at UChicago and has served in leadership roles for environmental and social impact organizations. She holds a Master in Public Policy (M.P.P) from the Harris School of Public Policy at University of Chicago and a B.A. from Brandeis University.