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 and CDS partnered to launch the Responsible Use of Data Co-Lab. Funded by a generous initial $1 million gift to CDS in August 2021, and deepened with an additional $3 million gift in September 2022, the Co-Lab:

  • Supports recruitment of a non-tenure-track faculty member from outside of academia to bring real-world expertise to the classroom setting
  • Backs a program manager and software engineer to lead experiential learning activities
  • Organizes efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in data sciences
  • Awards six $10,000 MassMutual externship stipends to undergraduate students

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 intends 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.

Behind the Scenes

Data Days for Good Spring 2024

As part of the ongoing collaboration between MassMutual and the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, for the second year, data science students and other majors partner with MassMutual data scientists, data engineers, and software engineers for a four-day intensive working on projects for nonprofit and civic tech partners in Greater Boston. Watch the video and get a behind the scenes view of the Data Days for Good mentorship program.