At the AI.Data Lab showcase held by Emory’s Center for AI Learning, students across various disciplines presented their findings resulting from semester-long research projects, in which they applied a variety of methods to address humanitarian issues such as food insecurity, business development in Atlanta and bias in art.
Corporate sponsors for the student teams included The Carter Center, Invest Atlanta, the Michael C. Carlos Museum and TechBridge.
Charlize Samuels, a master’s student in Economics at Emory University’s Laney Graduate School, presented her team’s findings at the symposium. Their project was sponsored by TechBridge, a nonprofit organization that provided the team with years of transactional data across food bank and distributor networks. Students were asked to examine the supply chain and public health impacts of TechBridge’s software.
“I try to think about everything in economics terms, which is really the main inspiration for this project,” says Samuels, who participates in a 4+1 program that allows students to obtain both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.
Because one of Samuels’ main research interests is macro-level economics, she prioritized reflecting macroeconomics in the project. Thanks to the data provided by TechBridge, the research Samuels and her team needed for the project was very accessible.
Samuels and her team were only able to conduct so much research given the time constraints of the project. Nonetheless,her team was able to program a predictive model that can let TechBridge prepare for bidding amounts from food banks based on past bids and macro-economic data. Samuels presented the team’s methodology for TechBridge to consider future possibilities with AI, such as this model.
The primary tool used for the project was Python, a widely used programming language that can be used for a variety of tasks. Samuels says Python has intuitive programs that worked best for the research and data she and her team worked with. An added bonus was that Samuels was familiar with Python since she frequently uses for her coursework.
Samuels also gained personal takeaways and from the project. “On a technical level, I think I learned to code a lot better. I was nervous in the beginning, because it’s a pretty open-ended project. I think that’s also the beauty in it because it forces you to do things that you maybe wouldn’t have done by yourself otherwise.”
She further emphasizes the importance of stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, and how Emory provides the tools necessary for students to try new things and be successful.
“It taught me a lot about myself. Using the resources around you, the resources that Emory has — you can create something really great.”
She encourages other students to explore new things on their academic journeys even if it is not in their immediate area or field of study. Emory and Oxford students of all majors and ages are encouraged to apply to the Spring 2025 AI.Data Lab program.
“If you want to try something, just go for it,” Samuels says. “Especially if it’s at Emory — you’ll have a lot of support.”