The Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference returns for a third year to Stanford University on March 5. This one-day, technical conference features world-class speakers discussing a wide array of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence research and applications, from computational finance, to astrophysics, to cybersecurity, and much more. All genders are invited to participate in the conference, which features exclusively female speakers. 

WiDS is a truly global and inclusive conference with a unique participation model. Participants have the choice of joining the conference in person at Stanford; in person at one of the 100+ regional events worldwide; online via livestream; or online via Facebook Live.  This provides unfettered access to valuable, technical, and innovative content to anyone in the world that would like to participate.

In the South Big Data Hub region, many data scientists will participate in the conference at live events in their area. While most will take place on March 5, some events are schedule for other days. WiDS events in the southeast will take place in Atlanta, GA (March 8), Austin, TX (March 24), Research Triangle Park, NC, Charlotte, NC, Charlottesville, VA, Columbia, SC, Dallas, TX, Memphis, TN, Miami, FL, San Marcos, TX, and Washington DC. More information on regional events is available on the WiDS website registration page.

Although the conference is in March, many women in data science have already been participating in a new feature of WiDS called the WiDS Datathon, a joint effort between the Stanford Institute for Computational & Mathematical Engineering (ICME); Kaggle (a Google company); Intuit; West Big Data Innovation Hub; and InterMedia, a grant recipient of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in their Financial Services for the Poor program.

The Datathon seeks to encourage female data scientists to engage in social impact solutions by participating in a predictive analytics challenge. The competition began February 1 and runs through the end of the month. The WiDS Datathon was made possible by the WiDS 2018 sponsors.

For more information, go to widsconference.org.

-Karen Green