Saturday, May 2, 2026 • Manhattan, Kansas
The Kansas Data Science Conference (KDSC) is an annual, statewide event that brings together students, faculty, industry professionals, and community partners from across Kansas to explore the world of data science, AI, and technology. From community data to community impact: uniting students, faculty, researchers, and industry to close the gap between learning and real‑world solutions.
Everyone has a role: attend, present, build, recruit, or volunteer.
Evaluate posters or student challenges; provide mentoring and recognition.
Support rigorous review and help guide the program’s quality.
Sponsor, recruit, host a workshop, or propose a challenge using your data.
Faculty roundtables, curriculum sessions, and statewide educator networking.
We welcome research papers, industry case studies, education practice papers, posters, and workshops. Topics include—but are not limited to—Ag & Environmental Data, AI/ML, Data Engineering & MLOps, Ethics & Policy, Data Science Education, and Community Impact.
All dates are subject to adjustment as the conference timeline is finalized.
KDSC brings Kansas together around data: students, faculty, researchers, and industry. We emphasize authentic, hands‑on learning using real datasets from Kansas communities to deliver solutions back to those same communities.
Learners analyze real local datasets and present insights that help Kansas partners in agriculture, health, civic data, and more.
We bridge education and industry by aligning projects, mentorship, and recruiting around real use‑cases and workforce needs.
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30+ | Registration & Breakfast | TBA |
| 9:30–10:30 | Opening Keynote | TBA |
| 10:30–11:00 | Community Data Labs: Your Mission, Your Data, Your Project | TBA |
| 11:00–12:00 | Parallel Sessions I (Talks) | TBA |
| 12:00–12:10 | Group Picture | TBA |
| 12:10–01:00 | Data Science Comedian - Lunch | TBA |
| 01:00–02:00 | Industry Sessions | TBA |
| 02:00–02:30 | Parallel Sessions II(3 Workshops) | TBA |
| 02:30–03:00 | Parallel Sessions III (3 Workshops) | TBA |
| 03:00–03:30 | Transitioning from Academia to the Workforce | TBA |
| 3:30–4:30 | Poster Session & Judging | TBA |
| 4:30–5:30 | Career Fair | TBA |
| 5:30–6:00 | Awards & Closing Remarks | TBA |
Carl R. Ice College of Engineering • Kansas State University • Manhattan, KS
We partner with Kansas industry, nonprofits, and public agencies to showcase real data challenges and career pathways.
Community Data Labs connects students to community organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to collaborate on the development of data science projects. This partnership brings real datasets into the classroom, so students at universities across Kansas can gain hands-on experience. In turn, partners are granted access to the data analysis, visualizations, and insights generated by the students at no cost. If your organization may be a good fit for this initiative, email us at kansasdata@ku.edu. If you are unsure, KDSC staff will help diagnose a problem, identify relevant datasets, and establish a set of expectations for solutions.
