There is an old saying that the one person who is smarter than anyone else is everyone working together. It’s especially true in Data for Good, where partnerships that reach across the traditional categories of academia, government, and industry are often the most powerful.
As a statistician working in industry, I get to see this first hand in the development of AI to predict the amount of damage to the local electric grid from incoming storms. The work combines government and academic data and research from around the world to support a local industry need. The same kind of partnerships can empower our D4G projects.
Most of us can participate in community service projects through work. Since partnerships go both ways, there are opportunities for almost everyone. Statisticians and data scientists working in industry are the best people to identify scientists in academia and government who can provide essential expertise. Scientists in academia and government naturally have partners in industry, non-governmental organizations, and community groups.
For example, a common activity for professionals in all areas is supporting food banks and anti-hunger organizations. These organizations certainly need and deserve our support, and that means we can do even more by leveraging our professional skills. The key is finding an activity people are already engaged in and then adding your professional expertise to drive even greater results.
This type of collaboration translates to other popular projects, including literacy efforts at schools and support for animal shelters. Your local United Way is a great place to start when looking for an organization doing good work in the community that could use data and analytics.
National D4G projects can benefit from cross-sector partnerships, as well. This is an area in which ASA chapters can bring together a diverse group of people to form a project team. Chapter leaders can brainstorm the topics members want to work on and then foster partnerships with members in industry, government, and academia to attack the problem.
On the global level, ideas include fighting climate change by leveraging UN resources on sustainable development, investigating the prevalence of and local risk factors for COVID-19 and long COVID, and identifying risk factors for exploited labor hidden in the supply chains of local industry using new data from the US Department of Labor.
August is the perfect time to make new connections, review past work, and set new goals. With JSM and the start of the new academic year, now is the time to develop partnerships to support D4G objectives. It can be easy to focus on the same circle of colleagues in the same sector but be intentional about seeking out new collaborators and opportunities.
Whether attending JSM or not, use the conference program to find the people and research addressing the questions that matter to you. Data for Good means you don’t have to wait until you die to donate your brain to science! Don’t let JSM season pass without making connections for your next project in Data for Good.
Getting Involved
The statistics section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science has started a new webinar series.
Another resource is the Hosted Event Series from the National Institute for Statistical Sciences, which maintains an archive of past presentations on their website.
Check out these resources, be inspired, and give thought to what subjects you would like to see—or maybe even present—in Data for Good.
David Corliss
With a PhD in statistical astrophysics, David Corliss works as a data scientist in industry. He serves on the ASA Board as a Council of Chapters representative and is the founder of Peace-Work, a data for good nongovernmental organization.
This column is written for those interested in learning about the world of Data for Good, where statistical analysis is dedicated to good causes that benefit our lives, our communities, and our world. If you would like to know more or have ideas for articles, contact David Corliss.
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