MassMutual Responsible Use of Data co-Lab
Building ties between academia and industry is a critical part of how CDS makes a real-world impact. To that end, MassMutual teamed up with CDS to launch the MassMutual Co-Lab. Funded by a generous initial $1 million donation to CDS in August 2021, and deepened with an additional $3 million donation in September 2022, the Co-Lab will:
- Support recruitment of a non-tenure-track faculty member from outside of academia to bring real-world expertise to the classroom setting
- Back a program manager and software engineer to lead experiential learning activities
- Organize efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in data sciences
- Award six $10,000 MassMutual externship stipends to undergraduate students
CDS is all about democratizing access to data science talent and capacities by public and private sector organizations that are not strictly in tech. By working together with MassMutual on this shared vision, we are more likely to succeed.
Expanding the talent pipeline
Although its history goes back to its founding in 1851, MassMutual today is as reliant on data and technology to grow and function as a tech industry and healthcare leader. It builds complex algorithms based on data, creating new products to best serve its hundreds of thousands of customers and more than 6,000 employees.
Through partnerships with BU, MassMutual hopes to widen its talent pipeline for new hires and bring on board people already skilled in utilizing data sciences. The goal is that students interested in data-based fields, but not attracted to tech companies, will be attracted to businesses also reliant on data, like health insurance companies, hospitals, or financial services firms. By collaborating with MassMutual, BU students and faculty can continue to advance computing and data sciences in the classroom—and through hands-on, real-world application.