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“We are definitely a Hispanic enrolling institution, but the TIPS project is aiming to embrace that ‘serving’ term, and just the ideal of serving our Hispanic students. Through the TIPS project, there's a ton of professional development — very deep, profound professional development. We want an entire department to participate in the TIPS pathway because the department is a unit of change, meaning that the entire community and culture of that department will change, rather than just having a few people who are interested in DEI initiatives.”

Join us in discussion with Dr. Omayra Ortega, a professor at Sonoma State University, as we delve into the evolving landscape of data science education. From her journey as a mathematician with a background in music to her current endeavors in mathematical epidemiology and data science, Dr. Ortega shares insights into the intersectionality between gender, ethnicity, and inclusion in the data science community. As a former president of the National Association of Mathematicians and a passionate advocate for underrepresented groups in STEM, Dr. Ortega discusses the importance of fostering diversity and equity in data science education.

“If you're a data science educator, make friends with other data science educators because I'm sure they need help. They need your ideas, your models for how you run your degree program, for how you run your classes, and best practices. Go to those lovely workshops that are organized at UC Berkeley every summer and spring — if you're in California, join CADSE.”