By Karen Benway (University of Vermont) and Abigail Crocker (University of Vermont) and Julie Skarha (University of Vermont)
Information
As statisticians increasingly integrate artificial intelligence into research workflows, decisions about what data are collected, how they are interpreted, and which models are prioritized for analysis carry growing ethical and social consequences. This poster presents a case study of the Vermon Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN) Scholars Program, an initiative that centers data equity and community-engaged participatory approaches into undergraduate research training. The case study highlights how incorporating community voice not only improves the rigor, relevance and trustworthiness of statistical findings but also surfaces potential harms and blind spots that can emerge when analyses are detached from their context. This work underscores the importance of community partnership as a pedagogical and methodological strategy for aligning statistical practice with principles of equity, accountability, and social impact. UVM is a research university where the program has been structured as a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program and included approximately 10 students. Most of the students are statistics or data science majors. The program began in summer 2025 with four students, and additional students have joined at the start of the fall and spring semesters. Because the number of students involved is very small, evidence of efficacy will be qualitative in nature, coming from student interviews.