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Current and Past Projects for the Applied Data Fellows Program

Current Applied Data Fellows Projects

Exploring Global Education Through Data

Using Data to Enhance Athletic Performance

  • Fellow: Riley Oakes, Data Analytics and Law & Policy, '28
  • Partner: Athletics Department, Dickinson College

Advancing Sustainability Through Data Analysis

Analyzing Biodigester Data at Dickinson Farm

  • Fellow: Ben Brandt, Data Analytics, Quantitative Economics, and Mathematics, '27
  • Partner: College Farm, Dickinson College

2025 - 2026 Academic Year Projects

Exploring the Impact of Global Education

Gracie partnered with Dickinson College’s Center for Global Study and Engagement (CGSE) throughout the 2025–26 academic year to examine patterns of study abroad participation and student outcomes. Her project explored how study abroad fits into students’ academic pathways, connections between global education and career outcomes, and participation patterns across majors and departments.

Gracie also investigated ways to improve the accessibility and usefulness of the CGSE’s existing study-abroad course equivalency database, with the goal of making important information easier for students and staff to navigate and use.

Through the project, Gracie applied data analysis to questions about global education while gaining experience working with a campus partner to address practical institutional needs. The project will continue into the next academic year, providing an opportunity to build on the initial findings and further develop data-driven tools and insights for the CGSE.

 

Building Data Tools for Community Impact

  • Fellow: Thao Nguyen, Data Analytics and Quantitative Economics, '27
  • Partner: Community Empowerment Services, Inc., Carlisle, PA

Thao partnered with Community Empowerment Services, a local nonprofit that develops programs to support community members in need. Thao created a Power BI dashboard to help the organization monitor and evaluate its programs by tracking participation, participant ratings, demographics, and other key measures.

The project gave Thao hands-on experience translating a community partner’s needs into an accessible and practical analytical tool. Working directly with the organization, she gained insight into how data can support program evaluation and informed decision-making.

Through the experience, Thao strengthened her skills in data visualization, dashboard development, and stakeholder communication while learning how quantitative tools can help nonprofit organizations better understand and communicate their impact.

 

Applying Data Analytics to Biological Research

  • Fellow: Thao Nguyen, Data Analytics and Quantitative Economics, '27
  • Partner: Professor Dana J. Somers, Biology Department, Dickinson College

Thao supported a faculty research project investigating experimental yeast growth patterns. Using Python, Thao cleaned and standardized multiple time-series datasets and produced more than 300 visualizations, including growth curves and heatmaps, to help researchers identify and interpret patterns in the data.

Thao also developed models to analyze growth curves and calculate key growth metrics, gaining hands-on experience applying quantitative methods to biological research. Because this was a new area of study for Thao, the project provided an opportunity to transfer existing data-analysis skills to an unfamiliar discipline while developing new technical and analytical approaches.

Through the experience, Thao strengthened her skills in Python, data visualization, modeling, and scientific data analysis while demonstrating how quantitative methods can contribute to interdisciplinary research.

 

Using Data to Strengthen Community Impact

  • Fellow: Rose Nguyen, Data Analytics and Quantitative Economics, '27
  • Partner: Project SHARE, Carlisle, PA

Rose partnered with Project SHARE, a local nonprofit food pantry, to analyze survey responses and program participation data. Rose cleaned, analyzed, and visualized existing data to help the organization better understand and communicate its program outcomes for internal decision-making and grant proposals.

A key component of the project involved developing a method for translating qualitative survey responses into quantitative measures, allowing Project SHARE to identify meaningful patterns in participant feedback. Rose also proposed improvements to future survey questions to support more effective data collection and analysis.

Through the project, Rose strengthened her skills in data analytics, visualization, and communication while learning how quantitative methods can help community organizations demonstrate their impact and make informed decisions.


2024 - 2025 Academic Year Projects

Using Data to Understand Faculty Workload

  • Fellow: Amanda Altamirano, Data Analytics, '25
  • Partner: Division of Academic Affairs, Dickinson College

Amanda partnered with Dickinson’s Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs to develop a data-driven model for examining faculty workload across Dickinson College. The project analyzed course loads, contact hours, and advising responsibilities to provide a clearer picture of how faculty time is distributed across departments and identify potential workload imbalances.

Amanda cleaned and integrated multiple datasets containing information about courses, enrollment, contact hours, and advising. She then developed a workload model that incorporated these factors to estimate workload units for individual faculty members. A key challenge was aligning the data with institutional definitions and addressing missing or inconsistent information.

The resulting analysis provided a summary of workload distributions and identified areas for further review, giving the campus partner a quantitative framework for understanding how different faculty responsibilities contribute to overall workload. Through the project, Amanda strengthened her skills in data cleaning, quantitative modeling, and analytical problem-solving while applying data-driven methods to a complex institutional challenge.

 

Building a Smarter Audiovisual Replacement Plan

  • Fellow: Amanda Altamirano, Data Analytics, '25
  • Partner: Academic Technology, Dickinson College

Amanda partnered with the Director of Academic Technology at Dickinson to develop a multi-year plan for replacing aging audiovisual equipment across the college’s classrooms. Working within a fixed annual budget, Amanda created a structured inventory of equipment and developed a model that prioritized replacements based on equipment age, classroom needs, and urgency.

Amanda’s model distributed recommended replacements across multiple fiscal years, balancing immediate technology needs with long-term budget sustainability and equitable access to classroom resources. The resulting tool provides a practical framework for guiding future AV investments while helping Dickinson plan upgrades in a consistent and strategic way.

Through the project, Amanda gained experience in data organization, budgeting, prioritization, and quantitative modeling while applying analytical skills to a real institutional challenge. The project demonstrated how data-driven planning can support thoughtful decision-making and contribute to the effective use of campus resources.

 

Developing Smarter Scheduling Solutions

Anne partnered with Dickinson College’s Writing Center to develop a Java-based scheduling system designed to streamline tutor scheduling and improve efficiency. Anne transformed availability and preference data from an Excel survey of more than 20 tutors into an optimized scheduling tool, reducing the time required to create schedules by approximately 30%.

The project challenged Anne to combine programming, data management, and problem-solving with a strong focus on the needs of the Writing Center staff. She developed a user-friendly graphical interface that allowed staff to easily review and adjust schedules while minimizing scheduling conflicts.

Through the experience, Anne strengthened her software-development and Java skills while learning the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and user-centered design. The project reinforced her interest in software engineering and demonstrated how quantitative and technical skills can be applied to create practical solutions that have a meaningful impact on the Dickinson community.

 

Turning Student Data into Career Insights

Anne partnered with Dickinson College’s Career Center to analyze senior outcomes data, including employment and career placement information, using Python. Her goal was to identify trends and insights that could help the Center evaluate its programs and better support students’ post-graduation success.

Anne gained hands-on experience working with real-world data while learning to balance technical possibilities with the needs of her project partners. After initially exploring a web-based interface, she refocused her efforts on data analysis and communicating findings clearly to non-technical audiences. The project strengthened her skills in Python, data analytics, stakeholder communication, and project management.

The experience reinforced Anne’s interest in data science and demonstrated how thoughtful analysis can transform complex data into actionable insights. Through the Q-Fellows Program, Anne developed not only technical skills but also the ability to collaborate effectively, adapt to feedback, and create work that addresses real institutional needs.