NYU Center for Data Science: A spotlight on our “Women in Data Science”

In a 2017 analysis of diversity in data science, Forbes reported that only about 23% of data science jobs are held by women. Furthermore, in the education sector, women occupy about 35% of seats in data science class compared to the 56% of seats women occupy in classes overall. While the causes of this gap are many and widespread, one solution that is indisputable is to create and foster communities within the data science space where women can share knowledge, build relationships, and create networks.

At CDS, we’re proud to say that we welcomed the student-founded “Women in Data Science” group or “WiDS” to our Center this past March. Since it’s launch, the group has been holding events (remote since NYU’s move to remote instruction in March) in the form of gatherings within CDS and “Lunch & Learns” with women in the industry.

With NYU’s return to campus coming up in about a month, WiDS has plenty planned for the Fall semester. The WiDS executive board spoke on the Fall semester by saying,

“We are excited to continue bringing speakers from diverse backgrounds to CDS, and are leveraging the remote experience by including speakers who are not local to NYC whom we might not otherwise have been able to engage with.”

While everyone at CDS looks forward to the return of in-person gatherings, it is great to see that CDS’s Women in Data Science is making the most of our current moment to make connections both near and far.