The AUC Data Science Initiative(DSI) was founded in 2019 by AUC Presidents George T. French Jr. (Clark Atlanta University), David Thomas (Morehouse College), Valerie Montgomery Rice (Morehouse School of Medicine), and Mary Schmidt Campbell (Spelman College) through a major investment to the AUC Consortium from the UnitedHealth Group and has since been supported by the government agencies, private foundations, corporations, and individual donors. The Institute benefits from its strong ties to the AUC institutions and other HBCUs to advance data science education, research, and outreach programs. 

There is a growing workforce need for data scientists and other professionals who possess data science skills. From healthcare to retail and advertising to finance, data science and analytics are used by almost all industries and functional areas. The ability to extract actionable insights from data is empowering organizations across all sectors and has catalyzed the need for professionals who possess both a technical ability to manipulate data and the critical thinking skills needed to analyze how these insights can lead to efficiencies and value. 

The AUC Data Science Initiative will have a considerable impact on broadening participation in the field by dramatically increasing the number of black data scientists in the workforce.