Student data analytics group steps in to fight COVID
When COVID-19 forced Harvard’s undergraduates to evacuate campus this past spring, many of them faced difficult choices. For Jerry Huang ’22, a joint concentrator in computer science and statistics and CEO of the Harvard College Data Analytics Group (HDAG), the choice was clear: he needed to use his skills, and his organization, to make a difference in this critical moment. “When many of us were sent home, we saw a pressing need from society to have people who were able to provide data-driven insights related to COVID-19. We saw that many organizations needed help,” said Huang, who created the group back in January. “So, we leveraged our infrastructure of driven students in order to engage with clients and provide them with data-science services, including data modeling, visualization, and journalism. We bridged the Harvard community and these organizations together.” In April, the a student-led nonprofit organization created 17 COVID-19 response teams, each made...