Professor Haley Kragness, Claire Engel ‘25, Gwen Radecki ‘25 and Claire Cahoon (L to R) are investigating how to best measure children’s movements to music.

ata science isn’t just for engineers or analysts. It has the power to advance many different fields of study, sometimes in surprising ways. For example, it can help psychologists better understand children’s movement patterns or inspire creative writing. Showcasing the versatility of data science is a goal of Kelly McConville, director of the Dominguez Center for Data Science. Students who participate in the Data Science Student Fellows program are matched with project stakeholders and data-science mentors who guide fellows through technical and theoretical approaches to data-centric problems. Fellows are encouraged to apply their diverse perspectives to develop solutions. This spring, 29 students are working on 13 projects, gaining experience across a range of fields. Here’s a look at three.

The Question: What musical features influence movement in children, and can algorithms assess them as effectively as human observation?

The Collaboration: Led by mentors Professor Haley Kragness, psychology, and Claire Cahoon, digital pedagogy & scholarship specialist, fellows Claire Engel ’25 and Gwen Radecki ’25 are exploring how music and dance affect children’s physical and emotional development and how to measure those effects efficiently. Their project blends developmental psychology, music cognition and computer science.

Engel’s computer science & engineering major complements Radecki’s psychology and linguistics double-major, bringing a cross-disciplinary perspective to their work. They’re studying different ways to track movement in children’s dance by comparing methods like automatic tracking to manual labeling to determine the most effective approach for researchers.

“While I lack the technical expertise to implement automated movement extraction alone, this project provides me with the potential to address a major challenge in my work,” says Kragness. Using home videos of children dancing, they are comparing automated movement extraction to manual annotations to assess its viability in children’s dance research.”

The Question: How can data inspire ecowriting — writing that explores the relationship between humans and the environment — to raise awareness and spark the development of creative solutions?

The Collaboration: Professors Sara Stoudt, mathematics & statistics, and Elinam Agbo, English — creative writing, are partnering with fellows Shaheryar Asghar ’28 and Caitlyn Hickey ’26 to explore how data and storytelling can intersect and inspire ecowriting for the journal The Dodge.

Asghar, a double-major in mathematical economics and psychology with a minor in English — creative writing, and Hickey, who studies applied mathematics and business analytics, are combining their skills in data analysis, app design and creative writing to develop an interactive app.

The project involves selecting nature-related datasets, developing writing prompts, and showing how data-driven insights can enhance creative expression. “Statistics requires creativity,” says Stoudt. “This project highlights that creativity while emphasizing the important role of writing in the statistical investigation process.”

The Question: Can predictive modeling provide actionable insights for coaches?

The Collaboration: Professor Jimmy Chen, analytics & operations management, is teaming up with Palmer “PJ” Steiner, assistant women’s soccer coach, and fellows Katherine Vice ’27 and Aiden Kim ’27 to develop a tool that will simulate Patriot League Women’s Soccer Tournament standings and clinching scenarios. By incorporating home/away status, past matchups and team performance metrics, they aim to support data-driven decisions during the season.

Kim, a computer science and data science co-major, and Vice, an economics major, are combining their skills to develop an interactive simulation dashboard. Kim is focused on predictive models and design, while Vice is analyzing results. “This project provides both a learning opportunity for students and practical benefits for the women’s soccer team, demonstrating the power of interdisciplinary collaboration,” says Chen.