Juergen Hahn, the head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been invited to speak at the next meeting of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST). Hahn also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

According to Hahn, BCST is interested in how chemistry and chemical engineering curricula are currently including data science — specifically artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches — or are planning to include these components in the future. BCST also wants to know what industry leaders are looking for in new graduates in order to make sure those skills are addressed in their education.

Only a few experts, including Hahn, have been invited to speak. What they share will help inform BCST’s recommendations to institutions across the nation. Hahn said that he will share how Rensselaer is incorporating data into its curriculum, specifically a new data dexterity requirement for all undergraduates that started last year.

In addition to speaking about the Rensselaer approach to data dexterity, Hahn will also present Computer Aids for Chemical Engineering’s (CACHE) perspective on data science, where he serves as a trustee. Among other activities, the organization develops software, teaching materials, and other tools instructors may use in the classroom. In keeping with its focus on supporting chemical engineering education, CACHE is also interested in the educational use of data science.

 “CACHE is currently in the process of assessing where do we stand with regards to integrating AI and machine learning into the curriculum,” he said. “We have put a survey together on that topic and are looking at the needs of industry and what academia is doing.”

Through the work of organizations such as BCST and CACHE, Hahn said there will be support provided to educators who are advancing data science education in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.