Tulane Libraries Host Third Annual Love Data Week and Data Visualization Contest

The event featured lectures, workshops, and award-winning data visualization projects from students.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Tulane University's Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science and Tulane University Libraries hosted the third annual Love Data Week from February 4-10, 2026. The week-long celebration included lectures, workshops, a game night, and a data visualization contest. Two students, Julia Miller and Jill Love, were recognized as winners for their projects on food deserts in New Orleans and the environmental effects on the cutleaf monkeyflower in California, respectively.

Why it matters

Love Data Week aims to bring awareness to data analysis, data visualization, and data management processes for faculty, staff, and students at Tulane. The event highlights the power and beauty of data through engaging programming and student-led projects.

The details

The data visualization contest featured projects from a range of disciplines, including anthropology, environmental studies, and biology. Julia Miller, a senior majoring in anthropology and environmental studies, mapped public food resources and transit data to identify gaps in food access in New Orleans. Jill Love, a Ph.D. candidate, presented her work on the environmental effects on the cutleaf monkeyflower, a flower species native to California. The awards were presented by Kaypounyers Maye, the scholarly engagement librarian and resource and data analyst at Tulane University Libraries, who helped organize the Love Data Week events.

  • Love Data Week took place from February 4-10, 2026.
  • The data visualization contest awards were presented on February 10, 2026.

The players

Julia Miller

A senior majoring in anthropology and environmental studies at Tulane University, and one of the winners of the data visualization contest.

Jill Love

A Ph.D. candidate at Tulane University, and one of the winners of the data visualization contest.

Kaypounyers Maye

The scholarly engagement librarian and resource and data analyst at Tulane University Libraries, who helped organize the Love Data Week events and presented the awards.

Lisa Dilks

A professor of practice at the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science, who attended the concluding reception of Love Data Week.

Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science

A research institute at Tulane University that co-hosted the Love Data Week events.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It shows where there are gaps between transit and food access resources.”

— Julia Miller, Student (The Tulane Hullabaloo)

“I saw Love Data Week as a natural way to celebrate data and bring awareness around data processes like data analysis, data visualization and data management to faculty, staff and students on campus. I think there's no wrong way to start getting involved in data.”

— Kaypounyers Maye, Scholarly Engagement Librarian and Resource and Data Analyst, Tulane University Libraries (The Tulane Hullabaloo)

“Every year, we try to do a little more and draw in, again, a broad audience from lots of different backgrounds and fields. I think we did a really good job.”

— Lisa Dilks, Professor of Practice, Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science (The Tulane Hullabaloo)

What’s next

The Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science and Tulane University Libraries are already planning for the fourth annual Love Data Week in 2027, with the goal of continuing to grow the event and engage an even wider audience across the university.

The takeaway

Love Data Week at Tulane University has become an annual celebration of the power of data, showcasing the innovative and impactful data visualization projects of students from diverse academic backgrounds. The event underscores Tulane's commitment to data literacy and interdisciplinary collaboration in the data sciences.