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  • Introduction to Data Science Workshop

  • Monday, May 22, 2017 - Friday, May 26, 2017
    Purdue University

    Scenes from last years workshop.
    Scenes from last years workshop.

    Registration for this workshop is full. We encourage you to enroll in the free online short course Introduction to R for Data Science

    All undergraduate students*, graduate students, and postdocs are welcome to register for this workshop. CSoI member students will be given priority registration.No training in ComputerScienceor expertise in any particular area is needed. Students from alldata-driven disciplines are welcome. We will send some pre-workshop training materials for students to complete during the weeks before the workshop starts, so that all students start the workshop with a comparable level of experience.

    The intended audience for the workshop are students at all levels who have not (yet) delved into adatascience experience, but want to begin working in this area. As an outcome of this experience, students will be acquainted with several tools fordataanalysis.

    We will introduce participants to some of the first principles and concepts fromdataanalysis. Students who complete the workshop will learn several technologies, including skills fordatawrangling anddatavisualization. We will utilize the R platform fordataanalysis, and will discuss strategies for reproducible research. As time permits, we will discuss how to use R to interact with SQL databases, how to scrape and parse XML code, and how to utilize techniques ofdatavisualization.

    All of the topics will be offered in team-oriented projects. We will choose several sources ofdata, so that the workshop will have an interdisciplinary appeal. This enables students to develop a sense of community and confidence about introductory topics indataanalysis.

    Central to the diversity mission of the Center is providing opportunities to women and other underrepresented groups including U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents. The spirit of this workshop is to bring together students and postdocs from multiple fields to lower barriers for understanding the language and approaches across multiple disciplines anddatascience.

    * undergraduate students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Registration for the workshop does not guarantee acceptance.

    Workshop Instructors

    Lead Instructor: Dr Mark D. Ward, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Center for Science of Information, Purdue University

    TA: LidaAhmadi, PhD candidate,Department ofMathematics, Purdue University

    TA: Yucong Zhang, PhD candidate, Department of Statistics, Purdue University

    Workshop Chair: Brent T. Ladd, Director of Education, Center for Science of Information, Computer Sciences, Purdue University

    Co-chair: Kelly Andronicos, Director of Diversity,Center for Science of Information, Computer Sciences, Purdue University

    Agenda

    Please download and view the agenda (updated May 17)

    CSoI staff will meet the group after breakfast at Windsor Dining Court 8:30am Monday to walk you over to the workshop in Lawson (Purdue students are welcome to meet up at Windsor, or come directly to the workshop).

    We will start at 9am in Lawson Computer Science building, room 3102. When you arrive at the workshop you will have your name badge with a login for the Scholar server, and a PAL wireless account. (Purdue students will also receive a dining card with your name badge - all others will receive diningcards at First Street check-in)

    Teams:
    All of the topics will be offered using team-oriented projects.Each attendee is a member of a team ( Team Roster - updated May 18). We have attempted to form teams so they include at least: one postdoc or faculty, two graduate students, and two undergraduate students. Each team has one member that submitted a potential project with data that the team can also decide to work with, in addition to/or instead of the projects that Professor Ward will be presenting.

    Lodging

    Lodging will be provided and paid for by the Center for all non-Purdue students. Students from outside Purdue requiring lodging will be staying at First Street Towers . They already have your information for check-in - there is no need to contact them ahead of your arrival. The office is open 24 hours so you can check in whenever you arrive. Phone for First Street Towers is 765-494-0200 for assistance. If you take an airport shuttle to Purdue, a shuttle pickup/drop-off spot is often at the Purdue West shopping area next to Follett's along McCutcheon Drive (check the Travel info below). It is then only 1 block east to First Street Towers along State Street (see map below).You will receive a dining card at check in that also serves as a room key, and access to the Purdue Co-rec ( Purdue students will receive their card at the workshop ).

    Off campus students should plan to arrive at Purdue by Sunday evening, May 21st. The workshop will conclude Noon on Friday, May 26th.

    Meals

    Lunch will be catered onsiteMondaythroughThursday. Additionally, all attendees will be issued a dining card for use in the Windsor Dining Court for breakfast and dinner Monday, May 22nd - Thursday, May 25th. Breakfast, lunch and dinner onFriday, May 26th will be available at Earhart Dining Hall. For dining locations see map below. For any additional food or drinks that you want to pay for with your own $ can be easily purchased from the Lawson Computer Science "Port" Cafe between the hours of 8am-2pm (this cafe is on the first floor of the building where our workshop is held). Note, for Sunday arrivals we do not provide any meals and dining halls are closed, however thereare several options available by walking twoblocks west of First Street Towers in the Purdue West shopping plaza.

    Map

    Meeting location: Lawson Computer Science, Room 3102, 305 N. University Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907
    Campus locations for breakfast & dinner:

    • WindsorDining Court, (M-Th only) open for breakfast 7 am - 8:30 am and open for dinner 5:00 - 6:30 pm
    • Earhart Dining Hall (Friday only) open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

    Travel to/from Purdue

    Note that you will want the Purdue West/Follett's location for shuttle drop-off/pick-up to and from the airport. This is along McCutcheon Drive by Follett's book store, and is directly two blocks west from the First Street Towers dorm (see map above).

    Construction Notice: the Purdue campus is undergoing a major renovation with several streets and the main artery through campus (St. Rd. 26/State street) involved. This may impact your shuttle service and any driving on campus for those commuting here in a car. We suggest you contact your shuttle provider with any questions, and can also view updated maps and road rerouts here: http://statestreetwl.com/

    Wireless Networkand Server Accounts

    Monday morning when you arrive at Lawson 3102 for the workshop, you will have with your name badge1)A login for the Scholar server we will be using to access software and data, and for non-Purdue attendees 2) A login for the Purdue wireless network (PAL 3.0) and instructions for connecting.

    Travel Reimbursement

    Students and Postdocs from outside Purdue are eligible to apply for reimbursement of airfare and shuttle expenses to attend the full week workshop. Use the link above, and follow the instructions and forms provided. If any questions regarding travel reimbursement contact Robynne McCormick rlmccorm@purdue.edu .

    Evenings

    This time in May is the quietest on the Purdue campus. Not a lot is happening this week - other than our workshop! In addition to meeting as a team during evenings, you might be interested in checking out the Purdue CoRec - one of the nicest facilities of its kind in the country. Check the summer hours before heading there. It is a short walk from your dormitory or Windsor Dining court. Your Dining Card will give you access to the Co-Rec.

    There are a number of unique shops, bars, and dining at the east end of campus, about a 15 minute walk directly east from First Street Towers. You can also find out what else is happening in the area during the evenings at HomeofPurdue.com . Although Purdue is a safe campus, we strongly recommend walking at night as a group, and never alone, especially in areas off campus.