Honda Scholars Autumn 21 Meet & Greet
Data analytics in Stem careers was the theme for the Oct. 21st Honda scholars fall meet and greet. Speakers from both The Ohio State University and Honda highlighted opportunities for the scholars to join multi-disciplinary research teams and build a valuable DA skill set.
Ohio State’s Translational Data Analytics Institute (TDAI) team encouraged students to engage in faculty research projects such as current ones on smart mobility, agal blooms in Lake Erie, and Covid-19 treatments. Student Capstone projects with Honda, US Air Force, and the State of Ohio provide additional options for research experience.
Eric Bauer, Honda engineer at 99P Labs, told the group about a project he’s involved in that combines safety data from vehicles and layers it with weather and traffic data for analysis.
Located in Pomerene Hall, TDAI is a multi-disciplinary center with more than 200 faculty affiliates in more than 50 disciplines. Team members Emily Nutwell, Program Director, Cathie Smith, Managing Director, Steve Chang, Technology Solutions Engineer and Jenna McGuire, Associate Director talked about TDAI’s programs and partnerships.
TDAI outreach activities include a Data Science summer camp for Women and Minorities in July, data networking night and the student-managed Big Data Analytics Association (BDAA).
Cathie Smith, TDAI director, invited interested scholars to consider participating in the week-long Data Science summer camp as a counselor, becoming a project mentor or joining BDAA student organization.
On Nov. 2-3, TDAI’s Fall Forum will explore using data ethically for good. In-person and virtual sessions will feature speakers on responsible data science in AI, health care, smart mobility and the environment and sustainability.
Eric Bauer also talked about his job as a data scientist in the research unit at Honda Design & Manufacturing, focusing on his mobility journey as an Ohio State student to Honda associate.
As a student, Eric “tried tons of clubs” and honed his skills through internships. He landed a leadership position with the Ohio State Electronics Club and led the first OHI/Os events.
His advice to the Honda scholars: “explore your options at Ohio State” and “try as many student organizations as possible to discover your talents.”
“Get involved and take charge of your learning,” Bauer said. “Showcase your skills with personal projects.”
Internships are important to develop professional skills, but Eric also advised the scholars to flip the script and interview companies for potentials co-ops. Graduate programs can accelerate growth in research and data analytics skills as well.
Eric’s job at Honda’s 99P Labs on the Ohio State campus combines data analysis with customer empathy and business innovation to develop innovative solutions in mobility and energy.
To that end, the 99P Developer Portal (https://developer.99plabs.io/) makes unique data sets & tools available online for interested students to join, collaborate and begin their own journey with data analytics.