Xiao Qin's Spotlight
New NSF Award to Build Data Science Pathways with Talladega College
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Dr. Xiao Qin and Dr. Cheryl Seals have received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) for the project Collaborative Research: Targeted Infusion Project: Building STEM Pathways Powered by Data Science Skills Training to Foster Student Persistence through Institutional Partnership. The project is a partnership between Talladega College and Auburn University, led by Dr. Virginetta S. Cannon of Talladega College with co-PIs Dr. Xiaopu Peng and Dr. Daniel J. LaMaster. The total award amount is $399,943. Auburn's portion of the project (NSF Award No. 2606083; PI: Xiao Qin; Co-PI: Cheryl Seals) runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2029.
The primary goal of the project is to create a sustainable, data-science-infused educational pathway that prepares Talladega College undergraduates for long-term success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students majoring in biology, computer science, computer information systems, chemistry, and mathematics will gain practical skills in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, using learning materials developed jointly by researchers at Talladega College and Auburn University.
The research team will develop six modular data science training units covering programming foundations, data cleaning and management, statistical analysis, feature engineering, introductory machine learning, and data visualization. Through professional development workshops, Talladega College STEM faculty will integrate these units into five undergraduate science and mathematics courses. Faculty from both institutions will mentor participating students, and peer support networks will help students build research skills, persist in STEM, and become competitive applicants for graduate STEM programs at Auburn University.
A mixed-methods evaluation will measure changes in student self-efficacy, retention, grade point average, participation, and graduate school applications and enrollment. The project will produce open educational resources, documented mentoring frameworks, and a scalable partnership model that other historically Black colleges and universities can adapt when collaborating with research-intensive institutions.
Click here to read the NSF award abstract.