Throughline
Spotlight on Data Science

Undergraduate Study: Building the Foundations
Rice undergraduates begin their data science journey with a strong grounding in programming (Python, R), statistics and data visualization. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning with real datasets that give students a practical edge. From the first day of class to real-world projects with lasting impact, Rice’s data science programs are preparing the next generation of leaders to solve the complex challenges of our time.

Outside the classroom, students take the lead through the Rice DataSci Club (RDS). This student-run organization hosts workshops, community events and the Rice Datathon—an annual competition that draws students from across Houston to tackle data challenges and connect with industry mentors.

For those seeking deeper engagement, Rice’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) offers a 10-week summer program pairing students with faculty to conduct high-level research on emerging data science topics.

Graduate Research: Pushing Boundaries with Advanced Applications
Graduate students push the boundaries of what data science can do—exploring advanced topics in AI, machine learning and big data analytics. Data Science Initiative faculty, like Illya V. Hicks ’00, Department Chair of Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research, and Marina Vannucci, Noah Harding Professor of Statistics, are preparing Rice graduates for success across many fields.

A cornerstone of this experience is the first-of-its-kind Rice Data to Knowledge (D2K) Lab, which connects teams of advanced undergraduates, master’s students and beginning PhD students with real-world challenges from D2K partners. The teams work with their project sponsor to turn proprietary data into actionable insights and solutions, then share their projects and compete for cash prizes in the D2K Showcase event.

Project topics are both timely and impactful. One team examined how rail traffic delays emergency response times for the Houston Fire Department, providing data-driven insights to help improve public safety. Another team of professional master’s in data science (MDS) students—on education leave from Chevron—developed AI-powered software to detect brain cancer from 3D MRI scans, applying their expertise interpreting seismic data to advance medical imaging.

Industry Application: Transforming Data into Decisions
Rice’s data science community is transforming data into discovery—and building a better future. Professor Erzsébet Merényi’s team recently received a $1 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to develop AI tools that improve early detection of aggressive prostate cancer. Her methods—originally applied in astronomy and Earth remote sensing—are now poised to save lives.

Rice alumni are carrying this impact forward into industry. Audrey Pizzolato ’25, a computer science major, used a modified traveling salesman problem to optimize rig procurement in her D2K Capstone project. She is joining a trading firm as an engineer after graduation. Tucker Reinhardt ’21 helped predict cardiac signals in a D2K project; now he is a software engineer at Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), a research organization devoted to the study of life sciences. Across industries and disciplines, Rice engineers continue a legacy of innovation and solving for greater good.