Tulane’s Data Hub has been renamed the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science. Connolly is the family name of Libby Alexander, a Tulane graduate and member of the Board of Tulane. With data pervading almost every aspect of modern life, the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science enables Tulane students across all disciplines to understand how data shapes our environment, to think critically about data-based arguments and to use data in their studies and careers.

The Alexanders’ gift elevates the institute as the university’s centralized resource for fostering data literacy and data science through education, research and service to the community. As Tulane continues to grow as a powerhouse of research and scholarship, this institute will fuel an even more ambitious future of meaningful exploration and discovery.

“Whatever their majors, Tulane students must know how to navigate data, and integrating data science across the curricula will cultivate their data literacy. We are thrilled to play a role in Tulane’s data-centered evolution,” the Alexanders said.

Libby Alexander, a member of the club sailing team at Tulane, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the university in 1984. She and her husband, Robert, helped build Connolly, Inc. into a global leader in payment integrity solutions. Libby led Connolly’s health care division and ultimately served as CEO of the parent company. 

She credits a programming course she took at Tulane for showing her the capabilities of data combined with computing technology. Robert, who majored in computer science at Boston University, ran his own computer company before joining Connolly, Inc. as its chief information officer.

“If anyone understands the importance of data management and analytics to the present and to the future, it’s Libby and Robert Alexander,” President Michael A. Fitts said. “Through their expertise and generosity, they have been instrumental in furthering and developing Tulane’s strategy for implementing data literacy and data science at every level of the university.”