Computing and Engineering for Discovery and Innovation

Summer I Featured Program

Led by an initiative from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (Florida A & M University, FAMU) one of the historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), John Cabot University is offering a summer course on introduction to data science.  

This introductory project-based learning course in data science provides students with a learning experience in carrying out a tangible data science analysis with a focus on the student’s choice of a real-world problem using pre-existing secondary data. The course includes a critique of the inherent biases of data science itself and their societal implications. The full course description is below.

The collaboration between Florida A & M and JCU is the foundation in building a vibrant international summer program that brings together data science and engineering, diversity, and the humanistic traditions of the liberal arts. This summer program will serve as a focal point for highlighting and discussing the many societal and ethical issues that arise from data science and engineering and artificial intelligence. These topics are already being discussed within the John Cabot University Institute of Future and Innovation Studies that will organize dedicated events for students of the summer program.

Past events on data, AI, ethics, and social justice sponsored by the Institute dedicated to our summer students include:

• Summer 2024’s program featured a conference on “Disinformation and AI in Elections” hosted by the Institute of Future and Innovation  and the Guarini Institute and the Center for American Studies.  Students had an opportunity to learn from leading policymakers, journalists, media experts, technologists, and scholars to address the growing concerns surrounding disinformation in democratic processes. FAMU faculty Richard Alo, Yohn Jairo Parra Bautista, Carlos Theran, and Pierre D. Ngnepieba participated in the roundtable as part of JCU’s collaboration with Florida A&M University.
  
  
• Summer 2022’s program featured Social Justice in Code  hosted by the JCU Institute of Future and Innovation Studies. The event featured collaboration with faculty from various universities, including Florida A&M University. The seminar explored how digital technologies and AI are transforming society, focusing on the ethical and social justice challenges these innovations pose. The discussions emphasized the need for developing technical standards to address biases and ensure that AI developments are socially just and inclusive.

In support of Florida A & M University’s international education diversity initiative, John Cabot University has established automatic scholarships for students from HBCUs who enroll in any of JCU’s summer (or semester) sessions. 

We look forward to seeing you in Rome this summer and invite you to build with us!

Apply for our Summer session 

CS 212 Introduction to Data Science and Machine Learning (Prerequisites: CS 160, MA 100/101)
This course introduces students to the main concepts of data science, focusing on the practical application of machine learning and deep learning models for classification and prediction. The course explores the statistical foundations, computational techniques, and ethical considerations essential for building and deploying effective AI solutions. Through a project-based learning approach, students will gain hands-on experience applying data science methodologies to real-world problems. Using open, pre-existing datasets, they will learn to formulate, execute, and evaluate data science projects. Topics covered include descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory, basics of linear algebra; supervised and unsupervised learning, parametric and nonparametric decision-making; AI bias, fairness and accountability.

 Past Faculty Include