Assistant Professor of the Practice Tomo Lazovich’s work focuses on AI governance and policy, bridging technical, legal, and societal perspectives on algorithmic systems. At Brown, they are developing innovative courses and leading research projects that help students and professionals understand the real-world impacts of AI and data-driven decision-making.

Associate Teaching Professor Linda Clark is a pioneer in bringing together data science, education, and policy at Brown. As the Academic Director of DSI’s new online Master’s program in Data Science: Policy, Governance, and Society, she is cultivating a new generation of professionals who handle data through a lens of policy, ethics, and human impact.

No stranger to controversy, AI pioneer Yann LeCun told a capacity crowd that large language models are not the future of AI and that a new approach is needed if machines are to achieve human-like intelligence.

The online portal seeks to make legislation more accessible.

As a tool for researchers, lawmakers, journalists and the public, the CNTR AISLE Portal provides analysis of state- and federal-level AI bills pending across the U.S.

To ensure the Data Science Institute remains at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaboration and the ethical application of Data Science and AI, we are delighted to announce the formation of our External Advisory Board (EAB).

Our annual publication highlights student and faculty achievements, ongoing collaborative research, and innovative programming from the Data Science Institute, Center for Computational Molecular Biology, and Center for Technological Responsibility, Re-imagination, and Redesign.

DSI is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2026 Data Science Seed & Collaborative Grants, whose projects from across the university will stimulate innovation and support education in data-driven fields.

The 2025 cohort of Data Science Fellows presented their projects from the semester on Wednesday afternoon, sharing how they’ve worked with faculty from across the university to incorporate data-driven tools into existing undergraduate courses.

DSI’s new Director Brenda Rubenstein is passionate about building bridges between disciplines, from her integrative computational research to her new initiatives to connect researchers at Brown through the Data Science Institute.

Congratulations to Ying Ma (Biostatistics), Loukas Gouskos (Physics), and Kim Fernandes (Anthropology) on receiving DSI’s three Early Career Awards this December.

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.

Diana Freed, an assistant professor of data science and computer science, is an inaugural recipient of the Computing Research Association Trustworthy AI fellowship. The award supports early-career computing researchers who bring interdisciplinary expertise from the social sciences to infuse ethical and societal perspectives into trustworthy AI development.

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.