Data+, the Exemplar of Experiential Education at Duke

In 2022, the summer before his senior year, Saad Lahrichi was a bit stuck.

As a Duke Kunshan University student, he couldn’t return to China due to COVID-19 restrictions. Although he was indefinitely studying in Durham, his job prospects were limited due to visa restrictions. But it all worked out when Lahrichi learned about Data+.

Data+ provides a 10-week summer research experience for undergraduates to explore data-driven approaches to interdisciplinary challenges in small teams. Students learn to collaborate with others, meet client needs and build a portfolio of real-world work – all while getting paid.

Under the mentorship of Kyle Bradbury, assistant research professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Energy Data Analytics Lab, Lahrichi helped curate a dataset of satellite images for artificial intelligence to analyze climate-related topics. Lahrichi formed strong connections with Bradbury and his lab, as well as a greater appreciation of research. As a result of his summer’s work, Lahrichi is proud to be the second author on a published article.

“Data+ was a fantastic opportunity to get started in research,” Lahrichi said. “At that time, I was looking at grad school, and having a faculty member take you on as an undergraduate and work with you up to publication would really help me achieve that goal.”

These kinds of interactions and testimonials are exactly what Robert Calderbank, director of the Rhodes Information Initiative that runs Data+, dreamed of when he started the program in 2012. Calderbank and Data+ pioneered a model for interdisciplinary summer programs that has now been replicated many times across Duke.

Strengths of the Data+ Model

The success of Data+ starts at the top with Calderbank, even if he shies away from taking credit.

“Robert likes to ask, ‘how can you help someone else succeed today?’” said Bradbury, who is part of the Data+ leadership team. “That sums up his leadership style. His approach has always been one of partnerships. He wants to see the model grow in other units and always puts the students’ experience first.”

Those partnerships—between departments, faculty, staff, graduate students, undergraduates and outside clients—are the secret sauce to the success of Data+ over the last decade…plus.

Faculty and industry partners receive advice and solutions on real-world data problems from talented Duke students. Graduate students develop leadership skills while mentoring the undergraduates. And the undergraduates learn to work across disciplines while developing technical skills, networks and a portfolio of work. 

“Our students have thrived working in small project teams alongside other teams in a communal environment,” said Calderbank, who also holds the appointment of the Charles S. Sydnor Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering. “They learn how to marshal, analyze and visualize data, while gaining broad exposure to the modern world of data science.”

When Data+ began, it focused on projects in math, statistics and art history. As word of its success trickled across campus, it inspired an ever-growing list of spinoffs, known as the +Programs, looking to emulate the experiential education model in other disciplines:

• Applied Ethics+
• Arts+
• Climate+
• Code+
• CS+
• History+
• Math+
• Doc+ (coming soon)

After hosting 10 students in the inaugural Data+ cohort, more than 225 students participated in 2024 across all +Programs. 

“The increasing number of +Programs is a testament to how much growth has happened in this space across Duke,” Bradbury said. “People are seeing there’s real value in giving students this opportunity.”

But Data+ has experienced growing pains, too. As the program has expanded, so too have the costs for student stipends, on-campus housing, dining plans and programming. Thankfully, industry sponsors have stepped up, and in return, they receive access to a pool of talented Duke students with a demonstrated aptitude in data topics.

“We play to Duke’s strengths,” Calderbank said. “Our students code very well, but what makes them really stand out is their talent for asking questions – and it is by asking the right questions that we move the world.”

Impact in Industry, Government and Research

Over the years, Data+ students have worked on data projects across campus and in industry.

• With the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, students have used satellite imagery and aerial photographs to automate assessment of energy resources.
• With the Department of Mathematics and Sanford School of Public Policy, students have scored previous and proposed voting district boundaries to better evaluate gerrymandering.
• With Duke Engineering and Duke Health, they’ve used electronic medical records to help predict pancreatic cancer diagnoses. 

Data+ has also increasingly partnered with the Durham community to address local data issues. Since 2016, they’ve had about 25 projects with clients including Durham Neighborhood Compass, the Durham Department of Transportation and the Durham County Crisis Intervention Team.

“I’m particularly proud of the Climate+ work and collaborations with the City of Durham,” Calderbank said. “We’re not taking credit for improvements in Durham, but we provided advice that informed the decisions made by city government.”

Future of Data+

Over the next year, Calderbank will begin transitioning toward retirement, and while the program will undoubtedly miss his presence, the leadership team, infrastructure and legacy will propel the program far into the future.

“Our model has been refined over the years and will continue to be refined, as we seek to grow our interest with students, faculty and new disciplines,” Calderbank said. “With the intense demand for data expertise on real-world problems and the rich educational experience for our students, I see a vibrant future ahead for Data+ and the other +Programs.”

The legacy of Data+ for many students is the boost in jumpstarting their careers, from further research opportunities to industry internships. For Lahrichi, Data+ began his journey in research and broadened his professional network. Through his work with Bradbury, he met Jordan Malof, who previously worked with Data+ and still serves as an adjunct assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. Malof has since moved to the University of Missouri, where Lahrichi is working toward his PhD in computer science in Malof’s lab.

“Data+ helps break the barriers down between faculty and students,” Lahrichi said. “I’m eternally grateful for Duke, Dr. Bradbury and Data+.

“If you’re committed and put in serious work, you can get so much out of the Data+ experience and propel you to many great things in the future.”