Student Project Explores California Ballot Initiatives
by Jessica Nusbaum on Nov 2, 2020
"UC Davis students used data science and visualization to shed light on this year’s ballot initiatives through the California Election 2020 Data Challenge. It culminated in a webinar in October, when the winning teams presented their projects.
Leveraging the expertise of its co-sponsors — the UC Davis DataLab, a campus hub for research support and training in applied data science and informatics based at the UC Davis Library, and the policy-oriented nonprofit Scholars Strategy Network — the challenge both engaged students in the civic process and gave them an opportunity to develop data literacy skills that are in-demand for workers in many fields today.
'Because so much of what we do is about teaching students to use data science and digital technology, the DataLab was well positioned to pivot to the virtual environment when COVID hit,' said Carl Stahmer, executive director of the DataLab. 'The California Election 2020 Data Challenge is a great example of how the pandemic has pushed us to innovate further and faster in developing new ways for students, researchers and data scientists to collaborate and learn online.'”