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Announced August 2022 -  Historic $10 Million NSF Grant Establishes the National Data Science Alliance to Expand Data Science at HBCUs

Clark Atlanta University makes history as the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to receive a $10 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES program to establish the National Data Science Alliance (NDSA).

The NDSA builds on the collaborative data science work at the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Consortium member institutions, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College, as well as the AUC Robert Woodruff Library.

The NDSA will increase the number of Black people earning data science credentials by at least 20,000 by 2027 and expand data science research that advocates for social justice and strive to eliminate bias. 
As a mathematical scholar, Dr. Talitha Washington educates and stewards students, faculty, and the larger community to impact the grand challenges of our world.
Featured as a Women's History Maker. Download video here.
​Video directed by Tommy Taylor. 
From UConn Magazine, Summer 2022 - Revenge of the Data Scientists

"'She has done wonders for the mathematics community,' says Choi.

Washington’s work has garnered many industry accolades, among them an NSF Women’s History Maker award and a Howard University Outstanding Faculty award. She recently became the first person ever to be named both a 2021 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) — one of just 46 Fellows from around the world — and a 2021 Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) in the same year. She is now the president-elect of AWM.

None of this surprised McKenna. 'Indomitable is the word I’d use,' he said. 'You could see the joy she had in doing what she did. And she was just not intimidated by anything.'"

ABout

Talitha Washington, Ph.D., a distinguished mathematician, began serving as the Executive Director of the  Center for Applied Data Science & Analytics (CADSA) at Howard University on January 1, 2025. A transformational leader, Dr. Washington guides CADSA’s direction in harnessing the power of data to address society’s most pressing challenges through groundbreaking research, expanded educational opportunities, and innovative advancements on a global scale. She also serves as the the Sean McCleese Endowed Chair in Computer Science, Race and Social Justice, and a Professor of Mathematics at Howard University. 

Dr. Washington serves on the Census Scientific Advisory Committee of the U.S. Census Bureau and is the President of the Association for Women in Mathematics. She is also the Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation National Data Science Alliance (NSF NDSA), where she drives initiatives to broaden participation in data science research and education. Her research interests include applied mathematics, dynamical systems, nonstandard finite difference schemes, data science, artificial intelligence, and education.

An accomplished scholar and advocate for excellence, Dr. Washington has been recognized with numerous honors. She was elected to  Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, as well as mathematics honor societies Kappa Mu Epsilon and Pi Mu Epsilon. Her accolades include the 2019 BEYA STEM Innovator Award, the 2019 Outstanding Faculty Award from Howard University, and the 2020 NSF Director’s Award for Superior Accomplishment. She is a Fellow of the African Scientific Institute (ASI), the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Dr. Washington’s professional journey reflects her commitment to advancing knowledge and equity in STEM. She was a VIGRE Research Associate in the Department of Mathematics at Duke University and served as the inaugural Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative. Her academic appointments include assistant professorships at The College of New Rochelle and the University of Evansville, and a full professorship at Clark Atlanta University. As a former Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF), she worked in the Convergence Accelerator within the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) and in the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), where she led the development of NSF's first Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program, coauthoring solicitations that awarded $85 million.

Dr. Washington’s educational foundation is as impressive as her professional achievements. After graduating early from Benjamin Bosse High School in Evansville, Indiana, she studied abroad in Juan Viñas, Costa Rica. She earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from  Spelman College, which included a semester abroad at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. She later completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics at the University of Connecticut, which recently awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Science.

Dr. Washington shares a unique connection with Dr. Elbert Frank Cox, as both are mathematicians from Evansville, Indiana. Dr. Cox, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, was a faculty member at Howard University. Dr. Washington looks forward to honoring Dr. Cox’s legacy through her dedication to excellence, truth, and service.

Click for high-resolution photos. 

speaking engagements

January 9, 2025, Speaker, Evansville, Indiana: Home of the First Black PhD Mathematician, Joint Mathematics Meetings, Seattle, WA

February 17-19, 2025, Keynote: Empowering Humans Through Data, AI, and Technology,  Data Science Education K-12: Research to Practice Conference, Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX
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