Author: Tiffany Oliver
Publisher: TEDx Talks
Publication Year: 2022
Summary: In the following talk, Dr. Oliver talks about her work to address the underrepresentation of women and BIPOC in data science. In 2021, Dr. Oliver created a summer research program at Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college, to introduce Spelman students to data science. There are 2 notable aspects of Dr. Oliver’s approach. First, she is exposing these students to data science while they are still undergraduate students and deciding on their careers. Exposing young BIPOC and women to data science earlier gives them more chances to consider it as a viable career option. Second, she is targeting BIPOC and women by positioning herself at Spelman. Data science will always be underrepresented if we continue using the same recruiting methods to attract new people to the field. To fix the underrepresentation of BIPOC and women, we must make more targeted efforts to recruit them.