This summer, 65 students from Indiana, India, and beyond assembled at the University of Notre Dame to refine their skills in data analysis by tackling complex societal challenges as part of the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society’s summer internship program.
The internship is an immersive eight-week program designed to ignite innovative data science research projects for undergraduate students.
The participating interns in the 2024 program represented 14 universities and seven high schools. Guided by University and industry advisors, interns worked on real-world projects to address regional and national topics in manufacturing, civic engineering, and equitable healthcare and housing.
Vamika Gupta, a rising senior in business administration at the Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya, worked with researchers from the Institute’s Health Equity Data Lab (HEDL). Her project, “Food as Medicine: The State of Senior Hunger in 2021,” developed an assessment of food insecurity in individuals over the age of 60 by using data from previous research.
“This internship has been an incredibly enriching experience,” Gupta said. “It has allowed me to use my skills in data science to explore the relationship between food access and health that I hope can inform future health models.” The Food as Medicine working group within HEDL will use Gupta’s project to identify challenges in the current landscape of food insecurity.
Several internship projects used data provided by South Bend and community partners.
Thomas Lohman is studying computer science at the University of Notre Dame. A rising senior, he worked with 1st Source Bank to optimize their customer relationships through an analysis of banking services.
“I worked with mentors from 1st Source Bank and the Applied Analytics & Emerging Technology Lab (AETL) to update existing metrics that identify service offerings for primary customers,” Lohman said. His work with 1st Source Bank is part of an ongoing partnership between the Lucy Institute and 1st Source Bank to offer experiential learning to students while providing a positive impact for regional businesses.
Over 45 of the interns were led by Jay Brockman, professor of the practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the director of the Civic Innovation Lab (CIL). Interns with CIL collaborated with South Bend leaders and neighbors to develop revitalization and environmentally sustainable options for the city’s urban areas.
Rick Johnson, managing director for AETL, leads other portions of the Lucy intern program. “The internship is an opportunity for students to translate their data science skills into concrete applications,” said Johnson. “Not only are the interns gaining valuable experience by collaborating with peers and industry professionals, but they are also doing data science projects that are providing sustainable change for our community that will last long after they have completed the 8-week internship.”
The interns presented project results to University and industry mentors, peers, and partners from the South Bend community in July 2024.
“This summer, the Lucy Family Institute has been a hub for exciting, data-driven projects,” said Nitesh Chawla, founding director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society. Chawla, who is also the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering added, “The mission of the Lucy Family Institute is to be an innovative nexus of academia, industry, and the public, where data science and artificial intelligence can strengthen our capacity as a force for good. Through the Lucy internship program, we are welcoming the next generation of students from around the world to join us in this mission.”
For more information about the Lucy internship program, including available opportunities, please visit the Lucy Institute website.
Contact:
Christine Grashorn, Program Director, Engagement and Strategic Storytelling
Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society / University of Notre Dame
cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856
lucyinstitute.nd.edu / @lucy_institute
About the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society
Guided by Notre Dame’s Mission, the Lucy Family Institute adventurously collaborates on advancing data-driven convergence research, translational solutions, and education to ethically address society’s wicked problems. As an innovative nexus of academia, industry, and the public, the Institute also fosters data science and artificial intelligence (AI) access to strengthen diverse and inclusive capacity building within communities. Our vision is to become the preeminent intellectual beacon, inspiring collaborative, equitable, and impactful data and AI innovations as a global force for good.