Inside the DASH Lab: Where Data Meets Discovery

Sam Butler: Welcome back to Bronco Tales season two with the College of Health Sciences. Today, we have the School of Population and Public Health on the show.

Welcome everyone. Do you want to start by introducing yourself? 

Audrey Wilson: Okay, my name’s Audrey. I’m a junior studying health data analytics. 

Cayenne Denny: I’m Cayenne, and I’m a senior studying health sciences with an emphasis in HIIM. 

Kirk Ketelsen: Dr. Kirk Ketelsen, Associate Professor in the School of Public Population Health and Director of DASH Lab. 

Sam Butler: Awesome. So do you want to start by kind of explaining your degree and kind of what you’re going toward? 

Audrey Wilson: Yeah. I’m studying Health Data Analytics; it’s a pretty new degree. We’re doing DASH Lab, which I’m also part of. I also just got accepted into the Accelerated Master’s program, and will be doing the emphasis of data-driven decision making. And yeah, just going to stay in the School of Public and Population Health forever, I think.

Cayenne Denny: HIIM does a lot of patient data management, so a lot of like EMRs, EHRs, back ends of Epic, all of the patient health data management. And I want to go into research and analytics, which is why I joined DASH. 

Kirk Ketelsen: And the Health Data Analytics actually came out of HIIM, the Health Informatics Information Program, which had become a little bit antiquated. So we started thinking about what’s currently going on in data science and analytics.

We kind of took the whole HIIM program that Cayenne’s on and kind of mashed it together with Public Health, the general emphasis that wasn’t really doing a lot, and kind of put together this Health Data Analytics. It just started last fall and now has, as of today, 14 students. 

Sam Butler: And what is the DASH Lab? 

Kirk Ketelsen: So DASH Lab is a way to create a more data-fluent public health workforce. It’s modeled after the data mine at Purdue. And basically, what it is, it’s a year-long fall-spring experience for students to learn data science by doing data science. They do that on teams and with the community partners.

So this year, we have teams working with St. Luke’s and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, for example. And so they get to work with their data and learn data science by doing data science, basically. DASH stands for Data Analytics for Statewide Health. 

Sam Butler: Do you guys want to explain kind of what that looks like as a student? 

Cayenne Denny: I mean, I had Kirk’s advanced data class in Fall, I took him for 418, and he tricked me into joining. But he told me that he would teach us how to use R in that first semester. So teach us the tools and give us the implements to actually do the job, and then connect us with the resources to help in the community.

So like I’m on the Department of Health and Welfare team, and we learned how to do R, and now we’re working with–can I say what we’re working with? 

Kirk Ketelsen: In with the topic here. 

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, okay, we’re doing long COVID analytics. We learned how to use R, and now we’re analyzing it to present at the undergrad student showcase. 

Kirk Ketelsen: What’s cool about that is they’re using a behavioral risk factor survey questions from 2022, which the state deemed to be too sensitive to release for public consumption. But they were allowed to share with their partners. As we developed this partnership with them, they’ve made it available to Cayenne’s team.

And so this is one of the first and only places where this data on long coded is actually going to be facing outward. Yeah, so kind of cool. 

Audrey Wilson: Yeah. And then I’m working with St. Luke’s Applied Research Department team. We’re looking at motor vehicle-related concussion accidents and recovery timelines. We finally just got our data like a week or two ago, maybe, so we’re definitely in the early stages of cleaning the data and then hopefully start looking into some data visualizations. 

Kirk Ketelsen: We had to iron out a different process with St. Luke’s for students in DASH Lab, where we’re just doing research, versus the process that clinical students that are going to do internships with St. Luke’s have to go through. It took a little while for us to work through some of that stuff. We’ve gotten enough people involved, we finally got it worked out, but it delayed us a little bit to get the data. Now that we have it, we’re really excited to be digging into it for sure. 

Sam Butler: And what is R that you mentioned? 

Cayenne Denny: It’s a coding language. Similar to like SQL or Python, where you can go in and submit CSV files and run analytics within one console. So you can create data frames, create tables, and filter data quickly, all in one place 

Kirk Ketelsen: We say it’s a tool for doing data science. It’s a statistical software.

I mean, ours is more than that, but for us it’s statistical software. We do our data wrangling in it, tidying, cleaning, and all that kind of stuff, too. And so basically it’s a tool that we use. That’s where we spend the first semester learning it. 

Sam Butler: I remember you saying statistics. 

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, very basic level stats. I think you do like copying and pasting and learn how to code, and all in tinyverse. 

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, in like math 186 or something, they make you use R to do simple math calculations. So it’s kind of like a calculator, but you can use any of your spreadsheet values to create different visualizations using mathematical analytics, like Kirk said. 

Sam Butler: And it’s a multiple-semester course, correct? 

Kirk Ketelsen: Mm-hmm. Fall and spring, so it’s two credits in the fall and two credits in the spring. And we did it that way because we felt like–Dash is open to anybody and not just our own students. We felt like students who maybe came on it later, that two credits was something that most people could fit into their schedule, you know what I mean?

And so far, this seems to be, I think, about the right amount of time. 

Sam Butler: And what has been your favorite part been teaching, but also as students? 

Kirk Ketelsen: You know, one of the things that’s different about DASH and they can talk to it a little bit. Like the first semester, we were in a classroom for part of the time, but we have some space over in our Grant location. I’d say it’s probably one of the more chill environments, right? They can talk to you a little bit. We’re kind of sitting around on these couches and chairs, and everyone’s got their laptops, and I’ve got the projector going and stuff. It’s pretty laid back.

I think you can ask them. I think students like that environment, it’s a little bit different than, you know, your big auditorium style. Obviously, we don’t have that many students, but it’s definitely 180 degrees away from that kind of thing. 

Audrey Wilson: Yeah. I think it’s really collaborative, I think that’s the best part is and it’s also a really small class. You really get to know everybody, and then you even have teams that you work in smaller groups, so you get to know those people really well. I feel like it’s just very…it’s like a little community, so it’s super fun. 

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, I think collaborative is the right word.

I came from the pre-nursing program, where it was a lot of–you didn’t work together because everything was a competition, at least in my experience. And so moving to DASH and HIIM and all of those things, it’s super collaborative. We have grad students on the team who, if we were struggling, like I’m not super great at coding languages. But the grad student I worked with, Jessica, did a really good job at teaching us how to do it in the way that we will be using it.

So it’s learning, but everyone teaches each other because everyone’s going to be a little bit further ahead. If Kirk is busy doing something with another student, we’re not just sitting doing nothing. We’re always doing a little bit of something. 

Sam Butler: And you guys both mentioned data from the outside world. So you’re not only working academically, but it’s also for a greater cause. Is that gonna be published anywhere? 

Kirk Ketelsen: There are opportunities to do that. I think we’re limited with St. Luke’s because there are some legal concerns there that we’re not going into. But certainly with purpose data and other community partners that we’re going to be working with in the future, where that might be the case.

I mean, to be honest with you, the stuff that we’re doing with St. Luke’s and the concussion stuff, if they wanted to publish. I think we probably could. But for the time being, this first semester working with them–one of the conditions we had to say, we’re just going to use it for academic purposes.

So we’ll do the student showcase here on campus, and they’ll report back to the community sponsor with the presentation. But whether or not we publish or not, it may be on a case-by-case basis to know who the community partner is and what’s allowed. 

Sam Butler: And the topic changes each year, right?  

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, they present, actually, a number of topics. When we were first getting together, I said go on our website and propose a topic. They went on to propose like eight of them. And so we had all these ones to choose from, and then the students–I think it’s really important to let the students choose topics that interest them, you know what I mean?

And so the same thing with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, they have a number of different topics. Ultimately, the students get to pick what sounds interesting to them, or maybe it’s the community partner that they want to work with. Like, I think Cayenne’s just interviewed for a job, we can talk more about that in a minute. But a job with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. She can already say, “hey, I’ve been working with them since last year already.” 

That’s another thing with DASH Lab, too, and they were talking about the collaborative piece. That’s really intentional, and the collaboration with our community partners. Because in my mind, I think about how do we support students so that we can help them once they transition to the next phase of their life after Boise State. So in some cases it’s out into the real world to get a job, and in others it’s on to grad school, like Audrey’s going to do in accelerated programs. 

Audrey Wilson: Yeah. 

Sam Butler: What has been your favorite part? 

Audrey Wilson: Of DASH Lab?

Sam Butler: Yeah, of DASH Lab.

Audrey Wilson: I think just like working with everyone’s super fun, and in a lot of classes, it’s very conceptual and you’re learning about these topics. But I think DASH Lab allows you to actually like apply what you’re learning. It’s just very applicable. You really get to learn the software in like an actual real-life setting instead of like in a conceptual sense, which is super cool.

I think it’s just really fun, and it really does set you up for like a lot of opportunities going down like work-wise. And people do really like to see that on your resume. It just looks good, and it’s in like a whole year or two of doing it, is super cool. I think just…what I’m learning from it and like getting closer to people in my program is super fun too. 

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, the real-world implementation is game-changing. I was talking to Kirk. I think part of the reason that I ended up going to DASH was that I was doing a data analytics project for my capstone experience. And we were talking about it, and trying to learn R on my own wasn’t working. 

So I joined DASH, and I got to learn this new skill. And not only am I helping the community in this way, but I’m also able to learn these tools and provide analytics in other areas of my life.

Like Kirk mentioned, I interviewed with the Department of Health and Welfare after being impressed with how our community sponsor communicates with us. And it’s really community deep, they’re really committed to connecting with students and growth within our community. So it was really nice to see that meeting them through DASH not only helped us help them. But they’re more than willing to go the other way. 

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, I just had coffee last week with Anita, who was one of the master’s students who helped pilot the DASH Lab. And I remember at the time, she was saying how she works for Idaho Community Health now.

And she was talking about how specifically the discussion around DASH, she really felt instrumental in getting her that second interview. Subsequently that job that she’s in now as a data analyst, and she’s still there. So we’ve heard that from other students as well. So that’s definitely a real piece we want to continue to pursue. 

Sam Butler: So, where do you see it going, you know, since it’s so new? 

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, Audrey did say it’s small. It is small right now, but even though we’re triple in size from last year. With the new health data analytics degree, it’s a requirement for those students, so DASH should continue to grow as that degree continues to grow. Juniors and seniors in that program can take that. It is open to other people, though.

We have a student who’s a math major in there now. We have computer science students, so it is open to everybody. But I think a majority of our students right now do come from within the school of public and population health, but I think we’ll see.

I mean, I’m not sure if I’m ready for us to double again next year, but again, I mentioned the data mine at Purdue. He started with 14 students. Mark Daniel Ward is a colleague and friend of mine there, and in 2014, he had 14 students. Now the data mine is up to 2,500, so you’ve got to be careful what you wish for.

We’ll see how we grow. I think just for me, the next thing next year is I’d like to get a couple more community partners going. I have some other individuals who have projects that are interested, but I’d like to get St. Al’s on board and some other of our community sponsors as well. 

Sam Butler: And what, as a student, we kind of touched on it with the master’s and with a job, do you guys or your classmates have the goal for from DASH Lab? 

Cayenne Denny: I think it’s really great to help the community. So many classes talk about the idea of community give back and the idea of it. Like, it would be great to have more than 24 hours in a day to give back to the community. But DASH Lab not only gives you the educational experience of doing it and the know-how, but they put you out in the world, and we’re connected to the sponsors.

Kirk is there, but really, it’s us communicating with that sponsor and making sure that we are giving them analytics that will help them and our community. And so making it a real-world implementation is something that I haven’t personally experienced until DASH Lab. It’s great to see the idea of a future change, but seeing it happen while I’m still here is really nice. 

Audrey Wilson: Yeah, I definitely think the goal is to kind of help the students and help the community partner. It’s just helping each other and very collaborative, and I think it’s just a great program, yeah. 

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, we say data-driven decision-making, and it gets thrown around a lot, but we do talk about trying to provide something back to the community sponsor that they can use to implement some positive change.

With St. Luke’s, in the very first meeting as part of their St. Luke’s the Division of Applied Research, the director, Hilary Flint, one of the things she said is, our main goal is to look at the data, and based on what we see, implement it out into our communities, in real world, real time. That kind of thing, to make an impact, and to make a difference.

When we think about concussion, I mean–I’ll tell you a number of times where I’ve been kind of prodding them in some meetings that we’ve had.  For example, to be about what types of things these students might investigate, or what roads they might go down when they get this data that based on what they find, could really have some utility and impact as it relates to how you treat individuals that come into your clinic that have concussions.

And so, we’re always trying to get at something that’s pretty tangible. That helps students really understand how what they’re doing is going to make an impact.

Sam Butler: And do you want to touch on what you told me before we started about the new MPH program? 

Kirk Ketelsen: Well, the MPH program is the accelerated–now we have a what’s called a four plus one. So Audrey just got accepted into the accelerated program within the last week. So congratulations. Basically what that means is in her senior year, she starts taking classes that will count toward her MPH degree, her master of public health, which is one of the graduate degrees that we offer. The School of Public and Population Health also has a brand new PhD program as well and public health leadership. So that’s really exciting.

But in addition to just the general master’s program that we have, which usually takes students two years. The accelerated program, students start in their senior year. And then once they finish their senior year, apply to the MPH program and they get in there, they have just one year left to go.

So it’s a way to get your master’s degree and save a year of tuition, fees, and all that kind of stuff, too. College is expensive. So it’s a good thing. So we just got in place and we’re really excited to have a handful of students growing next year now. 

Audrey Wilson: Definitely. 

Sam Butler: Looking forward to it?

Audrey Wilson: I’m so excited. I think and I know a lot of people in the program too, which will be nice. And yeah, it’s just really nice getting it done in one year. I feel like a lot of people don’t get that opportunity, but yeah, super excited.

Sam Butler: We’ve talked a lot about DASH Lab. What else do you guys enjoy in the School of Public and Population Health? 

Audrey Wilson: I just feel like it’s a very tight-knit community, in my opinion. Coming into Boise State, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I just kind of chose public health. I feel like I really know the people in my program and my school. Like when you go to Health Science Riverside, you always see someone you know. And you really build these close relationships with your professors and your peers and other faculty and staff. Which is super awesome.

I really like the end-of-school barbecue, that’s like my favorite event. Because it’s a barbecue and there are awards, and it’s just super fun. I just think that’s like the best part is the community, and you really get to know everyone super well.

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, it’s super tight-knit again. I was coming from pre-nursing, where there’s a thousand people trying to get into 28 spots in the nursing program. So there wasn’t really any opportunity to get to know anyone or make any of those connections. No one was looking for that. Which is some people’s experience; I was really looking for a community more like what I ended up coming into, which was the Health Science Program.

They’re just, it really is tight-knit. My advisor Jamie has also been my professor, and Kirk has been my professor. And now I’m in his DASH Lab, like it’s all very connected. If there’s any problems or if I feel like I’m struggling at all, I don’t feel like I’m alone.

I’m from California, so my family is there, and I didn’t have a group here. Now I don’t feel like I have that lack of connection anymore. I really feel like I’m here, like I said, I’m interviewing with the Department of Health and Welfare. I’m looking to stay here because of the connections that I’ve made throughout college and throughout this program. 

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, and before SPPH, we were Community Environmental Health. That was the name of our department when we came to school. But, I would say there’s no shortage of real intentionality and effort on the part of not just the faculty. But everybody over there to build a sense of community and whatnot.

I mean, and of course, the barbecue is fun. And we do that at the end of the year and that type of thing, too. But it is actually surprising because we do have close to a thousand students. They can still say that they kind of feel pretty connected and whatnot, given the size that we are. And I don’t know a lot of students in the other programs necessarily, but definitely now with DASH and Health Data Analytics. Those students I get to know pretty well, so that’s kind of cool. 

Sam Butler: Yeah, I feel like, because I’m in the school, I still feel separated just because there are so many people in my area. And all of my classes are all over the place, which doesn’t help either. 

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, I think the HIIM program, which is now the public health program. I’ve had the same like 20 people in the last like six semesters of my classes. Coming into DASH, I was like, oh, Audrey is here. I feel like I have someone in every class, and that’s really nice.

Learning can be hard, so knowing that you have people that you can talk to. And have study groups and professors that I’ve seen more than once, sometimes it’s hard going in and not knowing a professor. I haven’t really had that very much other than Kirk. I haven’t had that in a while, and obviously that went well. 

Sam Butler: One last question, do you have any advice or guidance for anyone considering either DASH Lab, but more importantly, the school… or anywhere? 

Cayenne Denny: I mean, I feel like getting involved. It’s really easy to just sit back, watch these years go by and stay in your little bubble and study. But I’ve really made some great connections by just taking a foot out the door. And I feel like it’s always worth it, which is what people say when they’ve made these connections.

And it’s hard when you haven’t. But I’ve learned so much, and I’ve made all of these connections. I don’t feel like there’s a lack of pathways I can take. Some degrees, I feel like you’re holding to one avenue and I don’t feel that way. Graduating, I feel like I could go any direction I want, which can be scary. But it’s really freeing, because I don’t feel like–like if something doesn’t work, I haven’t wasted a four-year degree. I feel like I can go in any direction. And worst case, I come back and get a master’s and refine what I’m doing. 

Audrey Wilson: Yeah, I feel like just getting involved is super big. I think, especially in our school and Boise State, in general, there’s so many opportunities that you can take advantage of if you just look for them. Like DASH lab, there are also VIP classes. You can really get involved in the community and Boise State as a whole.

And I also think your professors want to help you. I think a lot of students, just in general, are really scared to ask their professors for help. And I think they want to see you succeed. So always ask for help if you need it. And yeah, just make the most of your four years at Boise State.

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, that’s different for public health. The professors, I feel like, are mutually invested in your time here, not only educationally. But they want to see you having a good time. So all these events are for both students and professors. 

Kirk Ketelsen: Yeah, I think we come over to Health Sciences Riverside. You’ll see a lot of open doors, and we love to have students come in and drop in. They need to check out the programs to say hello or whatever.

I mean, just one of the students I just signed up last week is from psych. She heard about health data analytics, and she was actually getting a minor…or a certificate in data analytics, and inside HGA. And she thought I was gonna flip those around, so now she’s a health data analytics major. And she’s doing a minor in psych because she just realized some real opportunities with the health data degree and stuff like that. She had to reach out, and I’m sure she says she’s probably glad she did because as of today, she’s one of our 14.

So just come on in and you’ll see a lot of open doors and ask some questions. But to Audrey’s point, yeah, get connected and get involved for sure.

Sam Butler: Well, thank you for joining me. 

Cayenne Denny: Yeah, thank you.

Kirk Ketelsen: Thanks a lot for having us. 

Audrey Wilson: Thank you. 

Sam Butler: Telling us about DASH Lab. I think and remember everyone can join. Are there any prerequisites? 

Kirk Ketelsen: You know, I think we still want upper-division standing, but other than that, it’s a zero prerequisite, and any major can apply. 

Sam Butler: Awesome. Thank you