As the UNC Charlotte School of Data Science launched in 2020, we looked for ways to interact and collaborate with as many areas of expertise as possible across campus. Some areas were obvious, such as Computer Science, Statistics, Business, and Health. Other areas quickly joined the School as their research involves data science (Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Political Science and other social sciences). However, when it came to the Fine Arts, collaboration wasn’t as clear. In conversations with the Arts faculty, Erik Waterkotte and Maja Godlewska, a concept with a form of print media that blends in data science concepts was born. A student artist, Millicent Read, stepped forward to take on this challenge. The resultant mural highlighting the School of Data Science is now on display outside of the School’s offices in Colvard on the UNC Charlotte Campus. Its bright and bold style of joy celebrates SDS and has hidden meaning built into the mural. From the social media analysis of the Charlotte Uprising near campus in 2016, to the identification of human trafficking through data science methods, to warnings that come from over exuberant data science in the 2008 Great Recession, the mural shows both the great opportunities and the warnings that data science must account for. We hope you both enjoy and think deeper about the power and responsibilities that come with being a practitioner of data science.

– Doug Hague, Executive Director, UNC Charlotte School of Data Science (Summer 2022)

Millicent Read, a Charlotte native, was recruited by two of her studio art professors to design the mural for the School of Data Science’s new space in the Colvard building. This project ended up morphing into an independent study. She spent the majority of the Spring 2022 semester working on a design that is constantly in motion, based on her interpretation of data science. The design features motifs resembling neurons, signals, and sparks being shifted and propelled as they weave around each other. Millicent is thankful for professors Erik Waterkotte and Maja Godlewska, who provided her with consistent and thoughtful input throughout the semester.

Millicent graduated from UNC Charlotte in spring 2022 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Illustration, and a minor in Art History. She is currently continuing to grow her portfolio, and hopes to work on more locally oriented projects in the future.