This is a world where nearly every communication, transaction and interaction leaves a digital trace, where satellites whiz overhead and sea vehicles cruise the ocean floor gathering insights about what they find, and where U.S. medical professionals order 14 billion lab tests annually. The deluge flows in faster than data can be processed and analyzed.
The problem of what to do with all that information and how it can be used to help people make better decisions belongs to the data scientist. The specialty field of computer science is in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an annual job growth rate of 36% from 2023 to 2033 — far outpacing the 4% national average.
To meet the need for highly qualified data scientists, the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, launched its doctoral degree in data science, analytics and engineering in 2021. The degree, offered in collaboration with the ASU School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, seeks to prepare the most advanced students to solve major societal challenges and offers an additional option beyond the existing master’s program.
Jiajing Huang is the program’s first graduate. He will receive his doctoral degree at the 2024 Fall Fulton Schools Graduate Convocation ceremony on Dec. 19.
“Data science is an interdisciplinary field of study,” Huang says. “It’s the intersection of mathematics, statistics and computer science where we are creating artificial intelligence tools that can be used in many sectors, not just in engineering but in health care, applied sciences and industrial settings.”
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