College of Natural Sciences - Department of Statistics and Data Sciences

Who We Are

The Future Leaders in Responsible Data Science Fellowship is a UT Austin undergraduate initiative dedicated to building an interdisciplinary community of students committed to advancing responsible uses of data and artificial intelligence. The program is primarily hosted in the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences and brings together undergraduates from across the university (including computer science, engineering, statistics, the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities) who seek to combine strong technical skills with thoughtful ethical judgment. The fellowship engages faculty collaborators from multiple departments and colleges across UT Austin, giving students the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary research environments and learn from different academic perspectives.

Fellows receive training in responsible data science, human–AI collaboration, experimental design, and interdisciplinary research methods. They apply this training by working on active research projects that explore how data-driven technologies interact with human decision-making and society. One of the central efforts of the fellowship is the Trust Prism Project, a research initiative that reimagines how humans and AI systems collaborate in complex decision-making environments while emphasizing trust, accountability, and responsible system design.

What We’re Fundraising For

We are fundraising to support undergraduate fellowships within the Future Leaders in Responsible Data Science Fellowship. Your support provides direct financial assistance that allows undergraduate researchers to dedicate sustained time to meaningful research, collaborative projects, and interdisciplinary learning. Fellowship support reduces financial barriers and enables students to focus their energy on developing the skills and experiences that shape their academic and professional futures, rather than balancing demanding outside work.

Donor contributions create opportunities for students to participate in hands-on research while receiving mentorship and training in responsible data science, human–AI collaboration, and interdisciplinary problem solving. Fellows engage in collaborative research projects that examine how data-driven technologies interact with human decision-making and society. Through these experiences, students develop not only technical expertise but also the ethical judgment and leadership skills needed to build trustworthy data and AI systems.

Your support also strengthens a broader community of mentorship and learning. Fellows work closely with faculty collaborators across campus (including Good Systems, the IC² Institute, Psychology, Literature, Statistics and Data Sciences, and Computer Science) gaining first-hand exposure to diverse perspectives on technology, ethics, and public impact. These interdisciplinary collaborations allow students to see how responsible data science can shape real-world challenges across multiple fields.

Why Your Gift Matters

Your gift creates meaningful opportunities for undergraduate students at a formative stage of their academic journeys. Fellowship support removes financial barriers and allows students to dedicate sustained time to research, learning, and collaboration rather than balancing outside employment. With this support, students can fully engage in hands-on research experiences that deepen their understanding of data science, artificial intelligence, and the societal responsibilities that accompany these technologies.

Through the fellowship, students receive mentorship, research training, and opportunities to work alongside faculty and interdisciplinary collaborators across campus. These experiences help them develop not only technical expertise but also the ethical judgment, communication skills, and leadership capacity needed to build trustworthy data and AI systems. By participating in research initiatives such as the Trust Prism Project, students gain practical experience studying how humans and AI systems interact, while contributing to new ideas and approaches for responsible technology design.

Your support does more than fund research in the present – it invests in people. By empowering students with the time, mentorship, and resources needed to pursue ambitious research, donors help cultivate the next generation of leaders in responsible data science and artificial intelligence. The impact of this support extends far beyond the fellowship itself, shaping students’ careers and strengthening the broader ecosystem of research, innovation, and ethical technology development.

The team is currently comprised of Tu-Quyen Dao (biochemestry), Tanvi Agrawal (computer science), Ian Roybal (electrical and computer engineering), Neev Gupta (computer science), Varun Bandaru (statistics and data sciences), Vincent Ma (mathematics), Anusha Dudella (school of information), Harsha Kondapalli (statistics and data sciences) and is underneath the direction of Prof. Arya Farahi in the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences.