R Fundamentals for Data Exploration and Visualization

R is a powerful, open-source programming language used for data analysis, visualization, and statistical computing. This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of R and the RStudio development environment, providing a practical foundation for working with data.

Participants will learn core programming concepts such as data types, variables, vectors, and data frames. The course then introduces the tidyverse, a modern collection of packages that simplifies data manipulation and analysis through a consistent and intuitive workflow, before exploring data visualization techniques in R. Finally, participants will apply these skills to create explore and visualize spatial data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

  • Navigate the RStudio environment and apply fundamental R programming concepts, including variables, vectors, and data frames.
  • Perform basic data analysis and create effective visualizations using R to explore and communicate data-driven insights.
  • Use tidyverse tools and syntax to import, transform, summarize, and prepare data for analysis.
  • Work with spatial and geographic data to create maps and visualizations that support decision-making and community understanding.

This workshop is designed for community development professionals, nonprofit staff, public sector employees, researchers, students, and anyone interested in using data to better understand communities. Participants should be comfortable working with computers, but no prior programming experience is required.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is ideal for:

  • Faculty, staff, students, and professionals new to R
  • Researchers and analysts working with research orcommunity data
  • Anyone interested in improving how they visualize and communicate information

No prior Rexperience is required.

Format

In-person: One full day of instruction at the ISU Research Park. Hands-on learning: Bring your own laptop and follow along step by step —

Next Workshop Offering

September 22, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Room 1060
Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab
3800 University Blvd.
Ames, Iowa

Register here:
👉 Available Soon!

Additional Information

For software setup instructions, detailed agenda information, and additional R resources, please use the navigation menu on the left.