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MSDS Online Students Connect During Networking Event
The University of Virginia School of Data Science invited MSDS Online students to a special breakfast with alumni, faculty, and staff as part of the WiDS Charlottesville 2025 festivities. Students were invited to tour the building, receive complimentary professional headshots, and network with alumni and MSDS Residential students.
A couple of dozen online students received warm welcomes and camaraderie from staff and members of the faculty. The program's director, Associate Professor of Data Science Jonathan Kropko, was in attendance to chat with students.
After some lively networking and discussion, Assistant Professor of Practice in Data Science Renée Cummings, an online lecturer for the MSDS program, addressed the group.
She began by complimenting Kropko's direction of the program. "His vision for this program is extraordinary, and he has a passion that is moved, I think, by his love of people," Cummings said. "One of the things that he continuously says is that we have got to bring what is online into the space. And that's something I truly appreciate because what he's saying is beyond the little box [on Zoom] that we see you, we actually see you."
Cummings concluded that she was honored to be a part of the program and highlighted the fulfillment she gets from teaching and connecting with MSDS Online students. "Being a part of the School of Data Science has been a very transformative experience for me as a professional. It has offered me the opportunity to grow."
Her parting wishes were that students would experience that same potential for growth, adding that she hopes the program continues to cultivate data science leaders near and far.
Kropko explained that the MSDS Online program is working hard to bring more connection into the program, supporting and uplifting its students as part of a greater community. "Online education has an invisibility problem," Kropko said. "But our students are our students, whether they are enrolled residentially or online."
He noted that the Office of Student Affairs team is working hard to create both online and in-person opportunities for MSDS students to meet each other, the faculty, and the staff that make running the program possible. "The more we bring the human element into the program by fostering these interactions, the better for everyone," Kropko said.
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Kristy Simpkins, assistant director of online student success and engagement, agreed that in-person connection can be an important element in ensuring student success. "There's a certain magic that happens in person, which isn't always present in virtual environments. Providing opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to come together creates invaluable experiences and benefits both students and the School," she said.
Simpkins said that students traveled from as far away as Florida and New York to attend. "They consistently commented on how much they gained from this experience and that it was worth the trip," she said. "Community is built from all the little moments of connection, and lifelong relationships can form from just one conversation. When we’re all just people in a room together, there’s so much to learn from each other."
Noting that some of the students were meeting for dinner after the event to continue building on their connections, Simpkins applauded the dedication and enthusiasm of MSDS Online students. "I am always impressed by our online students, whose varied backgrounds and passion for data science add so much richness to my work and the School."
