Data Science Celebrates Champions Hall Space With Open House

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From left: Karl Schubert, Alan Ellstrand, Manuel Rossetti, Charles Robinson, Kim Needy and Kathy Sloan.

In December, the Data Science Program celebrated the official opening of its new space in Champions Hall on the U of A campus.

The space was generously given by the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, having previously been occupied by the Fulbright academic advising team.

"The interdisciplinary Data Science Program is unique in its fundamental grounding in a liberal arts education that also examines data ethics and equity," said Kathy Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "Students in the program learn computational skills, but also real-world, analytical proficiencies that will place them in a variety of industries."

Renovations were conducted between December 2021 and August 2022. The Champions Hall 322 space was designed exclusively for and with data science students in mind.

Data science students can access three team rooms, which are equipped with the most updated technology for video conferencing and visualization monitors. The suite also offers four additional group or individual workspaces, a student lounge, three administrative offices and a conference room.

"We are excited to officially open the beautiful new Data Science Program space in Champions Hall and celebrate what is one of our campus' most important new academic programs with its many dedicated stakeholders," said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering.

Chancellor Charles Robinson said the development of the university's Data Science Program is a great example of academic collaboration in response to student and industry needs.

"That's why this unprecedented collaborative effort between three colleges is so important," he said. "When we learned that data science is a critical disciplinary area companies need, we marshaled the resources to create pathways for students to learn and enter careers in this fast-growing field. Our data science graduates will be uniquely prepared to meet the demands of this challenging but rewarding field."

During the open house event on Dec. 13, faculty, staff, administrators and supporters gathered to hear brief remarks from Robinson, Needy, Sloan and Sam M. Walton College Business Associate Dean Alan Ellstrand. The group also conducted an official ribbon-cutting for the Champions Hall 322 suite.

"Walton College was honored to be a part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Data Science program facilities," Ellstrand said. "It was great to see that the space was thoughtfully designed to support the needs of students, staff and faculty of this outstanding program."

About the Data Science Program: Established in 2020, the University of Arkansas Data Science Program is a multidisciplinary degree program between the College of Engineering, Sam M. Walton College of Business and Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.