2021-2022 MSDS Admission Ambassadors
Meet the 2021-2022 Admission Ambassadors! These students are from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. They are all pursuing data science with different goals and dreams.
Arjun Ganesh
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Major: Statistics and Cognitive Science
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
My favorite classes are Speech and Hearing Science with Filip Loncke, Ordinary Differential Equations with Robert Johnson, Advanced Sports Analytics with Jordan Rodu. I am looking forward to Bayesian Machine Learning with Don Brown.
What are your research/career interests?
NLP, text translation, and recommendation systems
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I loved my undergrad experience and knew this was going to be one of the most reputable and fledged out data science master's programs in the future. Headed by one of the most brilliant professors, Don Brown, I knew that I could develop and foster so many important relationships from advisors in the department to even the career development team.
What is a fun fact about you?
Akon and I sat on a flight together!
Burke Lawlor
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Major: Chemistry with specialization in Biochemistry
Previous Work Experience:
I worked in a wet lab looking into the specific role of a protein within the cell cycle and how its malfunction may be related to increased risk for cancer.
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
Statistical Learning
What are your research/career interests?
Bioinformatic and genetic research. I also plan on going to med school some time down the road, and integrating my data science/research knowledge with that. I'd love to become a psychiatrist and establish a genetic basis to help diagnose and treat behavioral disorders.
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I was a UVA undergrad, so the UVA MSDS program had always been on my radar. UVA has such a historic and prestigious background, so I was always drawn to it, especially as an in-state student. It provides so many non-academic opportunities to excel that other equally ranked schools don't.
What is a fun fact about you?
I've lived in 4 different countries and moved 10 times!
Timur Guler
Undergraduate Institution: Yale
Major: Economics
Previous Work Experience:
Data Science Consultant at Deloitte (D.C.)
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
I've liked them all! Practice and Application with Prof. Kropko over the summer taught me a ton of practical skills. Statistical Learning (DS 6030) has been my favorite for the fall so far but it's still too early to say.
What are your research/career interests?
I'd love to work somewhere where I can apply sophisticated models to interesting and meaningful problems.
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I liked the focus on the cohort experience, the technical rigor in both math, statistics, and computer science, and of course the city of Charlottesville
What is a fun fact about you?
I lived in Turkey for a year when I was five.
Jeannette Jiang
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Major: Statistics
Previous Work Experience:
Altria Intern
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
Abnormal Psychology
What are your research/career interests?
I am still exploring and thinking!
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
Proximity and affordability
What is a fun fact about you?
I will always have a broken bone in my body
Malvika Kuncham
Undergraduate Institution:University of Virginia
Major: Computer Science and Statistics
Previous Work Experience:
Capital One Intern
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
Any woman and gender studies class
What are your research/career interests?
Data/AI Ethics, Taylor Swift
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
Beautiful campus, great school
What is a fun fact about you?
I can play the Baritone
Ryan Cox
Ryan is a dual degree MSDS/MBA student.
Undergraduate Institution: Duke University
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Previous Work Experience:
3 years in Software and Data Analytics Consulting
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
My favorite class so far has been Linear Modeling.
What are your research/career interests?
AI and Machine Learning application in business and consumer experience
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
UVA offered the technical rigor and academic approach I was looking for coupled with a research environment and strong professors.
What is a fun fact about you?
I have taken a punch from the GOAT, Muhammad Ali!
Geoffrey Hansen
Geoffrey is a dual degree MSDS/MBA student.
Undergraduate Institution: United States Military Academy at West Point
Major: Systems Engineering
Graduate Education:
University of Missouri
M.S. in Engineering Management
Previous Work Experience:
United States Army- Aviation Officer (Apache Pilot/Commander)
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
Practice and Application of Data Science
What are your research/career interests?
Strategy Consulting
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
Dual MBA/MSDS program provided a unique skillset heading into consulting
What is a fun fact about you?
I had my first daughter halfway through the first year in the program.
William Jarrard
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Major: Systems Engineering
Previous Work Experience:
Digitizing medical records and worked at a software company called Propeller Health
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
Statistical Learning
What are your research/career interests?
Health Data Science
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I went here undergrad!
What is a fun fact about you?
I have been bitten by a zebra.
Colin O'Brien
Undergraduate Institution: Loyola University Maryland
Major: Finance
Minor: Information Systems
Previous Work Experience:
Valuation Analyst
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
Statistical Learning
What are your research/career interests?
I am interesting in returning to finance, but I am also interested government consulting and healthcare.
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
Having a school of data science instead of just a program housed under engineering or another school made me realize how much UVA values data science and how robust of a program I would be taking.
What is a fun fact about you?
I have been to almost every filming location for the Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.
Jaya Vellayan
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Major: Computer Science and Economics
Minor: Data Science
Previous Work Experience:
Two Data Science Internships (Novetta and Xeeva)
What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
I really enjoyed Professor Kropko’s Application of Data Science class. I learned so many new data science techniques and gained a lot of hands of experience. He is an amazing, brilliant, and very helpful professor!
What are your research/career interests?
I am unsure of exactly what field I want to go into, but I am interested in pursuing a career in data science.
What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I was able to get some idea of what the MSDS at UVA had to offer by taking undergraduate data science classes at UVA. The undergraduate data science classes at UVA really challenged me and taught me a lot, which made me very excited about the master’s program. I also really appreciate that the MSDS program is only 11 months long as opposed to two years. As a student that came directly from UVA undergrad, two more years of school sounded very daunting, whereas 11 months sounded doable. The cohort offered by the MSDS program is incredible. There are so many people from different backgrounds that offer different perspectives, and yet we are all still friends and get along very well. There is an amazing sense of community. Finally, I absolutely adore UVA and Charlottesville. I could not imagine liking any other school nearly as much as I love UVA.
What is a fun fact about you?
I was in Las Vegas for game 5 when the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup!