Mathematics and Statistics Colloquium

Calvin University

Priscilla Chen and Miriam Crisman
Calvin University

December 04, 2025
3:05pm   •   North Hall 276

Data Consulting Hub summer research experience

In the summer of 2025, we helped establish the Calvin University Data Consulting Hub and served as its first research consultants. Instead of working on a single, pre-defined research topic, we collaborated with multiple research teams to offer free data analysis services and advice. Over eight weeks, our team supported 13 faculty and staff members and 8 other undergraduate researchers across a wide range of disciplines such as Public Health; Biology; Communication; Geology, Geography, and Environment; the Speech and Hearing Clinic; Nursing; Chemistry; and Engineering. With these collaborators, we explored diverse questions such as: Do contaminants collect in rain gardens? What supports or stresses informal caregivers? Can we use R to visualize pollen stratigraphy? What modulates HIV infection rates? And more.

This project fostered interdisciplinary communication and collaboration. We learned what it’s like to work as a data analyst or statistical consultant supporting other researchers and gained hands-on experience with data preparation, visualization, statistical modelling, collaborative coding and version tracking, and communicating results. This experience not only strengthened our technical skills but also deepened our understanding of how statistics interacts with diverse research areas.