Data Science Institute

Vanderbilt University has established the Enterprise AI and Computing Innovation Studio, a groundbreaking collaboration between VUIT, the Amplify Generative AI Innovation Center and the Data Science Institute. Read More

By Jenna Somers After a hard day of work, a parent reading a bedtime story to their child might feel too tired and stressed to think of questions that could spark insightful conversations about the story with their child. But these conversations—which scholars call dialogic reading—are critical to literacy development. Read More

Get to know Jesse Spencer-Smith's favorite food, books, music and why he's excited to be faculty head of Sutherland House on the Ingram Commons. Read More

See how historian Jane Landers and her team are rescuing enslaved Africans’ stories from oblivion and honoring thousands of lives. Read More

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Vanderbilt University’s Jesse Spencer-Smith to the Tennessee Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council, which was established last year to guide the ethical and effective use of AI in the state.  Read More

Whether you’re interested in the latest updates on artificial intelligence systems like DeepSeek and OpenAI, or you simply want to investigate new and creative uses for AI, Vanderbilt’s Data Science Institute is hosting its second annual AI Days event, March 5–6. With in-person and virtual sessions planned, AI Days is open to the public and returns this year with an expanded program featuring distinguished speakers and innovative tracks. Read More

Vanderbilt Residential Colleges announces a new faculty head of Sutherland House on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons. Jesse Spencer-Smith, interim director and chief data scientist at the Data Science Institute and professor of the practice of computer science, will assume the role of faculty head beginning Jan. 1, 2025. He will succeed Chezare Warren, associate professor of equity and inclusion in education policy in the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, who has served as faculty head since 2021. Read More

To address the complexities AI poses to the nation’s economy and security, Vanderbilt University experts retired Gen. Paul Nakasone, founding director of Vanderbilt’s Institute of National Security, and Jesse Spencer-Smith, interim director of the Data Science Institute, shared crucial insights with a bipartisan group of congressional staff on Capitol Hill. Read More

A team of Vanderbilt researchers has released a new benchmarking study that aims to assist scientists in selecting the most effective methods for analyzing spatial transcriptomics data. The study led by Xin Maizie Zhou, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and computer science, evaluates computational tools in spatial transcriptomics innovative technology used to map gene expression patterns in tissues while preserving spatial context. Read More

Hunting for black holes sounds like the premise of a new Hollywood blockbuster, but at Vanderbilt University, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Karan Jani works with students in a lab to do exactly that. Last year, Jani’s group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, along with the university’s Data Science Institute, jointly launched the AI for New Messengers postdoctoral fellowship. The fellowship, one of the first of its kind in the U.S., seeks to apply AI techniques to analyze data from cosmic events (such as black hole collisions) using information from the Nobel Prize–winning Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) experiment. Read More

The brand-new, exclusive segment offeris real-time, in-depth analysis of the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Whether it’s a new model from OpenAI, an innovative tool from Google DeepMind, or a significant development in machine learning, AI Flash ensures you’ll be among the first to understand and explore these advancements. Unlike traditional workshops, AI Flash sessions are spontaneous, launched immediately upon the announcement of key AI developments. This flash-event format delivers timely insights, keeping our participants ahead of the curve as soon as new technologies hit the field. Read More

In April, Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development hosted the panel discussion “Ethical and Equity Considerations in the Age of AI” as part of the Peabody Dean’s Diversity Lecture series. The session explored societal, ethical and moral questions regarding AI’s growing role in higher education, with special consideration of social justice, bias, equity and discrimination concerns. Read More

Vanderbilt is leading the charge on what AI can do for teaching and learning in higher education. Read More

The researchers, including Vanderbilt’s team led by Kari Hoffman, focused their efforts on the detection of hippocampal ripples, which are considered biomarkers of memory and are affected by epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

Vanderbilt University’s AI Showcase, a recent event hosted by the Data Science Institute, highlighted the remarkable convergence of innovation, inclusivity and practical problem-solving through student-led data science projects. The showcase, structured like a research fair, hosted an array of student presentations, each competing for a part of a $1,700 prize pool. Read More

In just over a year, generative AI has emerged from a niche curiosity to a driving force in many of Vanderbilt’s classrooms. The Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Education has launched several resources and programs related to generative AI, including an updated academic affairs policy, an online resource hub, a new teaching award and a pilot program for a secure, proprietary alternative to ChatGPT. These updates reflect AI becoming an established tool in classrooms and labs across the campus and give faculty ways to help equip students to best use generative AI for new lines of inquiry and scholarship.  Read More

President Joe Biden’s nomination of Douglas Schmidt, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Computer Science, to become Director of Operational Test and Evaluation for the Department of Defense was formally submitted to the Senate on Dec. 4, 2023. Read More

Distinguished computer scientist Jules White has been named senior advisor to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier for generative AI in education and enterprise solutions. His appointment builds on Vanderbilt’s growing reputation as a world leader in innovation within the generative AI field. Read More

Join the Data Science team for an exciting AI Deep dive session with Dr. Matthew Pontell, a cleft and craniofacial surgeon working on a project related to the speech dysfunction Velopharyngeal insufficiency that occurs as a complication of palate repair surgeries. This session is designed to explore strategies aimed at improving speech dysfunction using generative AI, navigating through innovative solutions and recovery techniques that promise improved speech health for individuals suffering from various speech impairments. Read More

During the spring 2023 semester, students worked on The Musicians in Nashville project, along with the Data Science Team and the Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville to create a user interface for survey data of Nashville musicians. The goals of the project were to understand the economic circumstances of working artists and creative entrepreneurs in Greater Nashville, considering inflation, supply chain issues, and broader economic factors. Read More