The University of Wisconsin–Madison Data Science Institute, powered by a generous gift from American Family Insurance, is central to the university’s strategic priority to grow its research enterprise and expand its global impact.
Advancing the Forefront of Data Science Research
Jeri Barak and Kim Cowles, Plant Pathology, wanted to automate the data collection process of their experiments: segmenting images of leaves into healthy, lesioned, and not-leaf areas. DSI worked with them to develop an image processing application that automated a time-consuming, manual process.
“Every time, walking back from DSI, Kim and I were energized and excited about doing science.” —Jeri Barak
On Campus
Events
- May
- May 16Removing Barriers to Data and AI Innovation to Advance Human FlourishingData Science Institute Special Seminar with Dr. Talitha Washington2:00 PM, Orchard View Room, Discovery Building
- May 19Intro to Deep Learning with KerasHands-on introduction to the first steps in deep learning9:00 AM, Orchard View Room, Discovery Building
- May 20Intro to Deep Learning with KerasHands-on introduction to the first steps in deep learning9:00 AM, Orchard View Room, Discovery Building
Campus Highlights
Chen, Tiwari, and Elwert Receive Vilas Honors
Congratulations to DSI Affiliates Kaiping Chen and Pallavi Tiwari, and collaborator Felix Elwert, on receiving Vilas professorships and awards.
Feickert Awarded Early-Career Fellowship
DSI Research Scientist Matthew Feickert is an inaugural recipient of a URSSI fellowship for advancing research software development practices.
DSI Director and Staff Honored With Breakthrough Physics Prize
Kyle Cranmer, Alex Held, Matthew Feickert, Nils Krumnack, Garrett Merz, and Jay Sandesara were recognized for contributions to the CERN Large Hadron Collider.
Solís-Lemus Recognized for Public Science Engagement
DSI Affiliate Claudia Solís-Lemus received the received the Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Public Science Engagement Award in recognition of her outreach and service.
Li Awarded Sloan Fellowship
DSI Affiliate Sharon Li is a 2025 Sloan Research Fellow. This award recognizes 126 of the most promising early-career scientists in the U.S. and Canada.
- More highlights
Points of Pride
53
DSI Faculty and Staff Affiliates
at UW–Madison
$20 M
Research grants where DSI leads
or is a partner
+$6M
Industry-sponsored grants for 55 campus research projects
Data Science News
DSI Special Seminar with Dr. Talitha Washington
Join the Data Science Institute on May 16 for a seminar with Dr. Talitha Washington, Howard University.
Data Science for Earth Day
Earth Day, held each year on April 22, is a global event with local roots. Here are a few examples of data science research, tools, and learning opportunities at UW–Madison that help realize the vision of Earth Day.
Inaugural Open Award Recipients Recognized at the Research Bazaar
On March 20th, campus leaders were recognized at the UW–Madison Open Awards for their significant contributions to open scholarship and open source. Additionally, the ceremony recognized thirteen inaugural inductees into the Open Hall of Fame.
Thank You, Research Bazaar Sponsors!
The Data Science Research Bazaar was a big success, and it would not have been possible without the support of our generous campus and industry sponsors.
UW Research Partnership Yields First-of-its-Kind Soil Data Algorithm
University of Wisconsin professor of soil science Jingyi Huang and data scientist Maria Oros developed a new modeling tool for soil scientists. The pair used machine learning and public data to build the Soil Organic Carbon Assistant, which models changes in soil organic carbon.
- More
RISE-AI Initiative
The Wisconsin RISE Initiative is designed to address challenges of importance to Wisconsin and the world, and artificial intelligence is a focus area. Over the next three to five years, RISE-AI will accelerate the growth of UW–Madison’s network of AI innovators.
DSI leadership in campus AI includes co-hosting MadPrompts – the first generative AI prompt battle in the US, and the Exploring Artificial Intelligence @ UW–Madison seminar series.