Women in Data Science Blacksburg

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WiDS Blacksburg logo

Feb. 23, 2026

Join us for the eighth-annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) Blacksburg event, which is designed to support women who are currently in the field and inspire other women to become data scientists.

This year’s theme, “Welcome to the Dataverse,” highlights the many application areas of data science through an engaging talk, networking, and student project presentations.

The event is free and open to everyone — regardless of gender — with an interest in data science.

Registration ends Feb. 15!

About the Event

WiDS Blacksburg is independently organized by Virginia Tech to be a part of the mission to support women in data science and to feature outstanding women doing outstanding work.

Attendees gather at the 2025 WiDS Blacksburg networking mixer. Photo by Melissa McKeown for Virginia Tech.

Group of women mingling during a networking mixer.

Agenda

Lunch & Learn with Keynote Speaker Allison Rajakumar

Location: Kelly Hall 310

Allison Rajakumar, a director of data science and statistics at Lubrizol, will give a talk titled "A Data Science Journey in Specialty Chemicals: Lessons from Q.LIFE®". She will explore how Lubrizol’s predictive modeling platform integrates hundreds of models to drive thousands of formulation decisions each month, offering a compelling real-world look at data science in industry.

11:30 a.m. - Noon Lunch
Noon - 1 p.m. Keynote presentation

Overhead shot of event attendees mingling, with group of women standing around a table at center.

Woman facing camera stands in front of digital poster, describing her project to an observer.

Networking Mixer

Location: Data and Decision Sciences Atrium

Connect with other members of the local data science community, while learning about some of the work being done by Virginia Tech students. These students, both graduate and undergraduate, will give poster presentations showcasing various ways that data science is being utilized across a range of domains.

5:30-6 p.m.    Check-in/Icebreaker
6 - 7 p.m.        Networking/poster presentations