The DataGators have joined the NaviGators and Aggregator as the latest addition to the cleverly named gator-themed academic resources available to students.
The DataGators are a group of students available to help their peers with any confusing computer-related technological questions they may have. These questions can include learning how to use computers to understand data, statistical models and more. They plan to table in the Henderson Campus Center each Thursday during the lunch hour.
“If somebody is working — and it doesn’t even need to be their senior project — and if they need help either finding data or even graphing it or charting it, I can help them,” said Luke Barker, ’25, who was the DataGator at the table on Thursday, Oct. 17. “There’s also a programming language called ‘R’ that I can introduce people to and help them understand it.”
The purpose of the DataGators, aside from helping students learn the basics of computer science, is to introduce students to R and RStudio.
R is a programming language software meant to aid in statistical computing and show graphics of data. RStudio, a function of R, is a software tool that can be downloaded to a desktop to allow users to organize data in a more effective way.
The group plans to create free lectures for any student or professor who wishes to learn more about R.
Being one of the newest members of the DataGators, Barker is excited to help students get a better grasp on how to use data. Although Barker said there have not been many people coming up to the table yet, he is confident that will change.
“There’s only been a couple people so far, but I’m sure as people start working on their projects and start getting further into their projects, more people will start coming up,” Barker said.
The DataGators are organized by Assistant Professor of Computer Science Oliver Bonham-Carter.
“Our motivation is to use our studio to inspire collaboration between people and make them aware of free, open-source software,” Bonham-Carter said.
Bonham-Carter expressed his pride for his students at the table and their ability to help other students. Only a few students were chosen to be DataGators and were hand-selected by their skills and ability to connect with others.
“They are the ones at the top, very personable people,” Bonham-Carter said. “They have a lot of experience in coding.”
First formed in spring semester 2024, the DataGators were popular last year, reportedly helping several students with their senior comprehensive projects. The group hopes to continue this to help the lives of more students who are frustrated by technology and make the process of organizing data simpler.
“The DataGators are there for the students to help them feel confident in organizing data,” said Daniel Bakele, ’25, who has observed the positive effects of the DataGators and believes them to be extremely helpful for students. “They are there to make things more understandable.”
The DataGators are here to help students feel more familiar with all manners of using a computer, whether it’s coding or putting together their data. Having students at the table will potentially help other Allegheny students feel more comfortable asking for help, some possibly considering them a more approachable option as compared to professors. They hope to make people aware that certain computer functions are not as scary as they may appear.
“I just want to help people with the data part of their projects, and I think our goal is to help make it easier. I think that RStudio and R is a great way to do that,” Barker said. “If they have trouble graphing it, R is not that hard to use. If you need to write a regression and graph something it is only one line of code to do it, so a big goal is to make that process easier.”
As the world turns more to computers, the importance of understanding how to use technology is crucial. The DataGators are here to help Allegheny students take the important steps into the future of science and technology.
“The world we live in is very data driven,” Bonham-Carter said. “We’re here to help people get ready for their career.”