Established in 2022, the Texas A&M Institute of Data Science (TAMIDS) Data Science Ambassador program provides Ph.D. students with training and guidance to develop and implement outreach activities. The competitive program aims to help ambassadors become change agents who will catalyze the adoption of Data Science, both at Texas A&M University and in their subsequent careers. Each Ambassador receives a $2,000 scholarship that qualifies them for the Non-resident Tuition Waiver for Competitive Scholarship Recipients.
We are proud to announce the 2024-2025 cohort of Ambassadors.
These thirteen Texas A&M University PhD students will serve as representatives for TAMIDS and help students, staff, and faculty engage with data science education and research in their respective departments during the 2024/2025 academic year.
Senior Ambassadors
Debasish Mishra
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
My research involves using satellite datasets to understand scaling principles of terrestrial water-energy coupling. I plan to conduct workshops on Computational Hydrology, develop and proliferate hypothesis building and testing using publicly available datasets for various research interests, and streamline pre-processing workflows in Geospatial analysis for statistical and physics-based problems.
Yuhao Zhong
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering | College of Engineering
I quantitatively analyze and leverage the reasoning behind machine learning model decisions and their uncertainties, by developing explainable machine learning methods and applying them to data generated in manufacturing and healthcare systems/processes. This results in novel, efficient frameworks and algorithms for manufacturing knowledge discovery, anomaly localization, medical prognosis, etc.
I will continue to host/co-host weekly coffee chats with ISEN seminar speakers. Other planned events include software workshops conducted by students or industry partners, the 2024 Fall Academic Job Search Committee panel, the 2024 Fall ISEN student presentation showcase, the “Bag a Data Science Job” panel, and the 2025 Spring ISEN student poster competition.
Chunwu Zhu
Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning | School of Architecture
My doctoral research aims to investigate the impact of the distribution and quality of road traffic infrastructure on pedestrian and bicycle accidents by utilizing machine vision models to detect road traffic infrastructure. Specifically, I will examine whether underserved communities in Houston have inadequate transportation infrastructure and whether this inadequacy leads to a higher risk of traffic accidents. My objective for the Ambassador project is to create an inventory of bike lanes by using a computer vision model to detect bike lanes in street view images. I have gathered approximately 3 million street view images, from which we can identify bicycle-related traffic signs and bicycle-related lane markings. This information will help us determine whether or not a road segment has a bike lane.
Ambassadors
Marjan Behnia
Department of Geography | College of Arts and Sciences
My Ph.D. research uses geographic data analysis and machine learning to identify and address desertification susceptibility and land degradation. By evaluating changes and assessing key factors, we aim to inform planning and policymaking, enhancing strategies for mitigating desertification and promoting sustainability. As a Data Science Ambassador, I aim to promote data literacy and empower students from diverse backgrounds. By organizing workshops, seminars, and interdisciplinary data challenges, I’ll help students harness data science skills to solve challenges. I plan to collaborate with faculty to integrate data literacy into courses, fostering an inclusive community.
Walid El Mansour
Department of Education Administration and Human Resource Development | School of Education and Human Development
My research revolves around studying social networks’ impact on employees’ behavior. My interests also include the development of workplace scales. I am currently working with a colleague on the development of a Career Shock scale where we employ techniques from Item Response Theory. My ultimate goal as an ambassador is to promote data literacy and advocate for the power of data science in all areas of study at the School of Education and Human Development. As an ambassador, I will work toward bridging the gaps between data science experts and those new to it and facilitate the spread of knowledge and data-driven decision-making.
Dun-ya Hu
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences
My Ph.D. project explores how the context in which arguments are presented influences individuals’ reasoning and perception of validity. As a Data Science Ambassador, my goal is to bridge the gap between cognitive psychology and data science, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. I aim to promote data-driven research methodologies and inspire students to harness the power of data science in understanding human cognition and behavior.
Joe Johnson
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
My Ph.D. project is the design and development of deep learning-based artificial intelligence models and their comparison for enhanced estimation of plant biomass in cropland using multimodal 2D and 3D data. As an educator and researcher, I want to help students and colleagues in my department develop analytical skills and adopt data science skills to their advantage. I believe partnership and collaboration with peers is a good opportunity to engage and give constructive feedback. I prefer open to interactions with students and researchers to address their questions and requirements. I aspire to be a researcher and scholarly instructor who continually seeks to improve the offered position to give students the best advantages for their future endeavors.
Shihan Li
Department of Oceanography | College of Arts and Sciences
My primary research goal is to enhance our understanding of the global carbon cycle and its coupling to climate. To achieve this, I employ two main tools: constructing novel biogeochemical models to interpret observations from geologic history and developing a modeling framework that can inversely quantify essential model parameters. I will commit two hours each week to assist students from geoscience-related majors with their data science questions. Additionally, I plan to conduct two workshops aimed at introducing a model tool I developed and demonstrating the application of data-driven methodologies.
Xin Li
Department of Educational Psychology | School of Education and Human Development
My research focuses on promoting intergroup relationships among youth from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds by conducting basic research and evaluating relevant youth programs. I plan to identify data science needs among graduate students in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications through surveys and interviews, create a tailored resource kit, establish a peer support group, connect these students with TAMIDS resources, and organize a community outreach event to engage youth in Data Science.
Jack Manning
Department of Kinesiology and Sports Medicine | School of Education and Human Development
My Ph.D. work focuses on the neural control of walking with an emphasis on multitasking while walking (i.e. dual task). Using biomechanics and neuroimaging analyses, I relate functional connectivity within the brain to walking performance. My primary goal as the ambassador is to elevate my department’s data science literacy with topics that will help my fellow graduate students in their future careers. I will accomplish this by conducting a needs analysis of topics and languages that students feel they would like to learn, or that they feel they haven’t had adequate resources yet to learn.
Zavier Ndum Ndum
Department of Nuclear Engineering | College of Engineering
My PhD Project is based on Developing Large Language Model (LLM)-Based Applications for Medical and Power Applications and Digital Twin-Based Technologies for Small Modular and Micro Reactors. My goals are to learn the techniques of data collection and augmentation and how these can be leveraged in Nuclear Engineering to help incoming Graduate and Senior Students (either through office hours or workshops) wishing to incorporate Machine Learning and Digital Twinning in their projects.
Anshul Yadav
Department of Civil Engineering | College of Engineering
My research focuses on ecohydrology and satellite remote sensing, particularly in climate change impacts on lakes and reservoirs. I model reservoir evaporation, work with optical satellites, and use drones to study atmospheric boundary layer exchanges. As a TAMIDS Data Science Ambassador, I aim to bridge the gap between data science and environmental research. My goals include organizing workshops on Environmental Data Science, mentoring students, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration through a CVEN Data Science Club. These initiatives will enhance data literacy and integrate data-driven techniques into traditional engineering disciplines.
Xukai Zhang
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
My research explores the uncertainty and risks affecting critical coastal civil and energy infrastructures in the face of extreme weather events. My research supports risk-based decision-making processes, contributing to the development of more resilient infrastructure systems.
I aim to enhance the integration of data science within civil engineering, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment that acknowledges the field’s crucial role in future advancements. I am dedicated to making data science an accessible and essential tool for my peers in civil engineering, thereby encouraging a culture of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.