“Data science is going to be integral to solving many of the societal issues we will face in the future,” said Kjersten Moody, Chief Data Officer of Prudential Financial, a Founding Member.

“We looked at a number of different institutions to potentially partner with, and the University of Chicago stood out because of its multidisciplinary approach to the topic. It’s not the mathematical skills or the computational skills that will take a practitioner of data science to the leading edge of this field. It is the interdisciplinary approach and the ability to ask questions and to see problems from multiple perspectives.

“Diversity of thought matters, and that’s why we are seeking talent that shares our appreciation for seeing things through the eyes of others.”