Assistant Professor of the Practice of Data Science & Director of Industry and Research Engagement at DSI, Ahsan Ashraf, has spent his career bridging the gap between data science in academia and industry; he’s now bringing his experience and connections to Brown’s Master’s program in Data Science.

Guest speakers from local organizations shared how they address community priorities using data collection and analysis with students from DATA 80: Data, Ethics, and Society.

This week, the Data Science Institute hosted our annual mixer for our Affiliated Faculty to meet and mingle!

Emilia Huerta-Sánchez, Director of the Center for Computational Molecular Biology (CCMB) at DSI and Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, combines evolutionary theory with large genomic data to study human evolutionary biology.

This fall, the Data Science Institute is excited to announce the opening of a new, shared space for our students and faculty on the first floor of the Barus Building at 21 Manning St!

Join us in welcoming our new PhD students starting at the Center for Computational Molecular Biology (CCMB) and the Center for Technological Responsibility, Re-imagination, and Redesign (CNTR) this fall! We can't wait to see all they will accomplish during their time at Brown!

Get to know Sohini Ramachandran, Hermon C. Bumpus Professor of Biology and Data Science, Professor of Computer Science, and Director of Undergraduate Studies at DSI.

Get to know Andras Zsom, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Data Science and Director of Graduate Studies for Brown's Data Science Master's Program.

In the age of modern AI and politics, governments like the United States want sovereign AI: "self-sufficiency in the development of AI technologies." But the tech companies that have created this new technology have turned AI sovereignty into subscription services, "encouraging the illusion of a race for sovereign control while being the true powers behind the scenes."

In a new perspective piece published on TechPolicy.Press, Brown AI Policy researchers discuss AI sovereignty, sovereignty as a service, and where the power really lies between tech companies and governments.

The Data Science Institute's new Director has exciting plans to "transform the field of data science and develop the next generation of innovators."

DSI Faculty Roberta De Vito and Shekhar Pradhan will be leaving Brown at the end of the month after years of service to the Data Science Institute and Brown. We are so lucky to have had them as a part of our DSI community, and we wish them great success and joy in their future endeavors!

Brenda Rubenstein, Stephen Bach, and Ying Ma have been appointed to named professorships following May’s Corporation Meeting.

Commencement Weekend 2025 was a joyous occasion, with students and families celebrating their loved ones’ achievements all throughout campus. At DSI, we gathered on Friday to celebrate our Undergraduate and PhD students with a Commencement Lunch, and again on Saturday for dinner to celebrate our Master’s students. Congratulations to all our graduating students!

During Spring 2025, nine PhD students successfully defended their dissertations from DSI, CCMB, and CNTR.

Congratulations to graduating seniors Anna Lapre, Michelle Ding, Catie Manning, and Gabriela Becher!

DSI is home to multiple undergraduate and graduate academic programs, each with passionate and inspiring students. Hear from some of our graduating students and explore what has inspired them at Brown.

Five professors across various disciplines spoke at the “Data in the Trump/DOGE Era” panel on Monday.

Data losses may pose a problem for researchers using government data for their projects.

In February, Data Fluency Certificate undergraduate students Sima Raha, Nazifa Qazizada, and Computational Biology undergraduate Hannah Beakley attended the WECode Conference at Harvard University, learning from tech industry leaders and connecting with fellow students.

Brown DSI & CSREA welcome AI policy expert Dr. Alondra Nelson to speak on governing the future of artificial intelligence.

Provost Francis J. Doyle III announced that Brenda Rubenstein, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Physics, has been named the Director of the Data Sciences Institute (DSI), effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028.

On November 11, DSI hosted a mixer for our Affiliated Faculty community to meet, mingle, and learn about each other's work.

On Friday October 18, DSI hosted Brown's first Women in Data Science (WiDS) Providence Conference, organized by DSI students and postdocs and featuring experts from data science industry and academia.

On October 15, DSI launched a new Online Data Science Master’s program in collaboration with the Brown School of Professional Studies with a unique curriculum focused on policy, governance, and ethics in data science.

This summer, DSI put out a call for Brown faculty from across the university to join our affiliated faculty. DSI accepted sixty-one new faculty affiliates this week and now hosts a community of 115 faculty affiliates whose research or teaching involves data or computational science.

During National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2024, DSI is highlighting our postdocs and their range of impactful work.