The Magic City Data Collective has been awarded a Governor’s Work-Based Learning Best Practices award under Alabama Works.The Magic City Data Collective has been awarded a Governor’s Work-Based Learning Best Practices award under Alabama Works. One of 21 programs selected that demonstrate exceptional best practices in work-based learning, the MCDC will move on to compete for the Seal of Excellence award in December.
Founded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Birmingham Business Alliance and Birmingham Education Foundation, the public-private partnership, housed in the UAB Department of Physics, serves as a training network for undergraduate, graduate and local professionals seeking knowledge and career development in the data industry. MCDC seeks to establish and maintain an infrastructure for data professions and opportunities in data science, computation and STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) fields in the Birmingham region.
Lauren Rast, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Physics, serves as the principal investigator and project director for MCDC. She says that to be recognized with this award is a testament to the foundation and goals of the program.
“In Physics, we have this mission to build the data workforce and to build data-driven decision-making in Birmingham,” Rast said. “This award highlights MCDC as prioritizing effective and meaningful training and experiential learning for our students.”
Undergoing its third cohort of 25 students, the MCDC has trained a total of 75 students since its inception and has maintained 100 percent retention in STEMM fields. The average cohort demographics yield around 50 percent women and 50 percent underrepresented minorities.
Lauren Rast, Ph.D.,
Photography: Bruce Southerland“It is really gratifying and nice to see all of the hard work being recognized on such a prestigious scale,” Rast said. “We are equipping the next generation of the data analysis workforce.”
MCDC’s goal is to give students a combination of lifelong learning and valuable job market skills in data science and data analytics that they can carry with them throughout their careers no matter what professions they choose.
“In addition to the lifelong skills that students attain and the data job skills, we strive to ensure that we also give them ample opportunities in civic education,” Rast said. “We believe it’s important, as we develop these future leaders in these state and national spaces, that they can use these data skills in combination with a clear civic understanding and knowledge.”
The work of the MCDC accelerates the meticulous focus that the Department of Physics places on amplifying the pillars of UAB’s Strategic Plan through developing diverse students to become global citizens and leaders, promoting innovation and knowledge to improve society, and community engagement.
“The Department of Physics has positioned itself to strategically focus on long-term education and also providing hands-on experience as early as possible to prepare students for the workforce,” Rast said. “The work we do with the MCDC is a part of that broader effort within our department.”