Data Science and Organizations

Throughout this course, you will explore a case study about a fictitious organization named Nutri Mondo. Nutri Mondo is an international organization that helps local communities access healthy food and address injustices that lead to hunger. The organization uses data science to help communities understand the factors that lead to food insecurity, build education programs for healthy eating, reduce diet-related diseases, and mitigate the impact that poverty, race and geography have on food security. All the materials for this case study can be accessed in the Learning Resource: The World of Data Science.

In this case study, you will play the role an intern at Nutri Mondo. Below, read the e-mail from Susana Maciel, the director you will be working with throughout this case study:

SUBJECT: WELCOME TO THE TEAM!

FROM: SUSANA.MACIEL@NUTRIMONDO.ORG TO: YOU

Hello and welcome to the team here at Nutri Mondo! We are so glad that you are able to intern here and I am excited to be your director while you are with us. As you know, our organization relies on data science to help local communities understand the impact of food insecurity and craft solutions that can help them end the injustices and challenges that come with limited access to healthy food. We have collaborated with IBM and their data science team to help new employees, interns (like yourself), and communities understand why we use data science to create valuable insights that can lead to real, positive social change. Since it is such a relatively new field, I have selected several videos and articles I am sure you will find useful. You will also get to meet one of our data science teams, who will be walking you through one of our latest projects, so you can get a sense of what they do and how they do their work. I will be reaching out to you soon to hear what you think about the team. You will be reporting back to me on what you learn during your internship with us. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Susana Maciel Director Nutri Mondo

To prepare for this assignment, review your Learning Resources. Then, go to the World of Data Science, visit Miami to meet the data science team at Nutri Mondo.

For the assignment, write a report to your director, Susana, about the data science team at Nutri Mondo. Think about insights you gained from the videos of data scientists and from the articles you read. Then, write 4-6 paragraphs that answer the following questions:

• How would you define data science?
• Why has the role of data science become so important to businesses and other organizations?
• What factors have led to big data being available and accessible, even to smaller companies and organizations?
• At Nutri Mondo, what is the value of the data science teams work within the context of the organization?