Data Science: Your Future

Photo credit: Chris Liverani

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As any student in the College of Natural Sciences knows, data is essential to all kinds of science. Whether that data comes from complex calculations or simple observations, a great portion of experimentation and innovation requires acquiring and analyzing these figures. The interdisciplinary field of data science — defined as scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from many structured and unstructured data — is not only the future of data analysis and science, but part of your future as well.

Karen Willcox, the Director of the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences here at the University of Texas at Austin, knows just how important data science is to anyone pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or medicine. A professor and aerospace engineer, Willcox describes data science as essential to advancing work in her chosen field.

Willcox and her team develop digital twins — virtual models of specific complex systems that exist in our physical world, constantly updated with data to be as accurate as possible. The digital twins that Willcox’s team creates are coded replicas of airplanes. Development of these particular digital twins can lead to the development of self-aware aircrafts. These aircrafts can potentially estimate the physical twin’s structural state and update flight capabilities using the digital twin, allowing the physical twin to replan its path or objectives.

The development of digital twins for aircrafts is only one way in which data science has led to innovation in a certain field. However, the potential of data science is endless. The ability to understand robust and scalable algorithms, as well as develop a deep mathematical understanding will aid you in fields as divergent as medicine and archaeology. For example, in the (far-off) future, every individual may have their own digital twin that is updated with data about their health, including internal and external ailments, so that they can be prescribed medicine and treatments unique to them.

Additionally, Willcox believes that data science helps you think in new and innovative ways, which will allow you to advance within your field with the aid of your innovative ideas. She believes that a proficiency in data science is an essential skill to have for the future. The more that society progresses, the more collaborative work is seen between scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and even those in the social sciences. Data science is the area in which these fields meet.

Data science is a vast field that expands beyond digital twins; data science is where the future lies. Taking a class in computer science or even teaching yourself how to code is highly valuable. The University of Texas at Austin offers an array of courses and even various certificates to get you started.

The Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, offers a certificate in Computational Science and Engineering. This certificate is available to qualified seniors and juniors interested in research and in-depth study in engineering and computational science. Research areas can include numerical simulations, applied mathematics, scientific computation, and visualization.

If that does not intrigue you, you may be interested in adding a certificate in Scientific Computation and Data Sciences to your degree plan instead. This certificate will equip you with the statistical, mathematical, and computer-based skills necessary for you to investigate complex systems with a variety of applications.

Unless you are purely interested in coding, then you can add the Elements of Computing program certificate to your degree. This certificate is specifically designed to support computational work and develop skills in computer applications for students in disciplines other than computer science.

No matter your chosen path or field, remember it is never too late to develop a new skill and add a proficiency in data science to your tool belt. Lastly, Willcox wants to remind students that your learning does not stop. As a scientist—or even an engineer, doctor, or social scientist—you are a lifelong learner.