Matthew Jones (MADS ’25) is the cofounder of Envirolytica, a data science consulting nonprofit. As the recipient of a Field Innovation and Entrepreneurship Grant, the Flint, Michigan, native was able to pursue a pro bono project with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. 

Jones created a dashboard that will enable senior leadership at EGLE to compare over 20,000 contamination sites in the state of Michigan and determine which should have priority funding based on their risk to the public. 

“I created a script that uses geolocation data to cross-compare public wells, hospitals and schools against contamination sites to assess ranking,” he explained. “I enabled predictive capability to identify likely contaminants at unclassified contaminant sites based on associated business types.”

Jones was drawn to the Master of Applied Data Science program at the School of Information because of his interest in using data science to drive social entrepreneurship. He said the program has given him the technical capabilities he needs to address clients’ problems at scale, while aligning with his focus on real-world impact. 

“This internship, which would not have been possible without this grant, solidified my commitment to social entrepreneurship and helped me realize my passion in using data science for social good,” Jones said.