Welcome to the Data Lab!
We are a group of students who are working on data focused projects and learning, teaching, and promoting data literacy.
Our Story
Founded in 2011, the Data Lab was originally part of the Newcomb Institute, a program within Tulane University that continues the legacy of Newcomb College. Throughout its time, the Lab has been called The Collat Media Lab and The Technology and Digital Humanities Lab, but at its core the lab has always tried to teach students data and digital skills and literacy, while promoting gender equity in STEM and data research.
As of 2023, The Data Lab, in partnership with the Newcomb Institute, has moved to the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science, also known as CAIDS. The Lab adheres to an intersectional feminist ethos that champions accessibility, collaboration, and creating cultures of care. It continues to work on projects that showcase BIPOC, queer, and women’s voices. It currently consists of three different teams all aimed at supporting differing aspects of data literacy.
Meet Our Teams
Data Research Interns
CAIDS works with project partners, such as Tulane faculty, staff, or community groups, to create interdisciplinary, data-focused digital scholarship. Moreover, all our projects have a specific social and/or cultural framework. Data research interns play an integral role in these projects, gaining hands-on experience in data cleaning, analysis, and visualization, as well as project management and product development. In partnership with the Newcomb Institute, students practice data equity methods. This program provides an opportunity to develop research skills and contribute to meaningful social science projects.
Thank you to our project partners who make this program possible!
Data Ambassador Council
Our Data Ambassador Council (DAC), a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate students, is a focal point of student input and engagement at CAIDS. As advocates for data equity, DAC members communicate CAIDS initiatives to the student body at Tulane and act as a student-led focus group that explores data initiatives to ensure that CAIDS data programming supports the needs of Tulane students.
Our Scholarly Values
Building mutually supportive and interdisciplinary data-minded communities.
Applying data equity frameworks to our work as a tenet of data literacy.
Making data literacy skills and work accessible and relevant for all students.
Becoming users, researchers, makers, and critics of data knowledge.
Team Members
Ananya Anand
Product Developer
Sam DeMarinis
Product Developer
Alexandra Zeff
Data Research Intern
Daniel Fox
Data Research Intern
Julia Miller
Data Research Intern
Katie Bogdanow
Data Research Intern
Liam Guest
Data Research Intern
Meghan Nagia
Data Research Intern
Mika Nijhawan
Data Research Intern
Zoe Oboler
Data Research Intern
Kailen Mitchell
Data Research Intern