Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute

The Division of Research is delighted to welcome Andrew Kapral to the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute (HPE DSI) as its new director of Engaged Data Science, effective January 2020. The Engaged Data Science initiative, in collaboration with The Honors College, will develop and implement innovative project-based programming with the goals of promoting data literacy and expanding the use of data science tools in K-12 education and community engagement.

Kapral holds a B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University and a M.Ed. from the University of Houston (UH). He anticipates receiving his doctoral degree in higher education leadership and policy studies from the University of Houston later this year.

Working on the UH campus in some capacity since 2010, Kapral’s last appointment was as the director of the STEM Teaching Equity Project. In this capacity, he directed a large scale, externally funded, UH-based outreach project with a mission of providing high-quality, sustained professional development to K-12 science teachers in the greater Houston region. Prior to joining UH, Kapral worked at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and as a Houston Independent School District fourth and fifth grade science teacher.

Building on his expertise in STEM education and the success of existing programs such as Data Analytics in Student Hands (DASH) and Project Engagement Encouraging Rising Students (PEERS), Kapral aims to use project-based learning experiences to develop a pipeline of students prepared to pursue post-secondary education and career pathways in data science. Using responsive engagement as focal point, these projects will begin with the needs of communities as the core focus and will bring together a variety partners including local community leaders, UH students and faculty, K-12 schools and the business community to find innovative ways to use data science to improve collective outcomes.

“We are thrilled to have Andrew join our team at the HPE DSI. His experience as an educator and former director of the STEM Teaching Equity Project at UH are a real asset to us. He has done large scale outreach projects with K-12 science teachers in his previous position at UH, and we can build on his past successes and expand our footprint,” said Claudia Neuhauser, associate vice president of research and technology transfer and director of the HPE DSI. “We look forward to his impact in this collaborative effort with the Honors College to engage the Houston community in data science education and research.”