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From Biology to National Defense: Grace Davenport’s Journey Through Data Science
Grace Davenport
Employment
Group W, Data Scientist (Washington, D.C.)
Education
M.S. in Data Science 2024, University of Virginia
B.S. in Biology 2022, James Madison University
Grace Davenport, M.S. in Data Science (MSDS) ’24, took a path that bridges biology, coding, and national security. Now a data scientist at Group W in Washington, D.C., Davenport spends her days applying natural language processing and building tools that support Department of Defense projects.
In this Q&A, Davenport reflects on her time at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Data Science, how the MSDS Residential program shaped her technical and communication skills, and how faculty, capstone experiences, and alumni connections helped launch her career. Read on to learn more about Grace’s professional journey, her current work, and where she hopes data science will take her next.
Q: Walk us through what you did at work today.
The first thing I do each day is attend our morning standup, where I recap my progress from yesterday and set a plan for today. This meeting is typically about 30 minutes. After this, I start coding until lunchtime. Right now, my team is working on optimizing a Department of Defense website by leveraging natural language processing search.
After lunch, I tag up with my team and discuss our to-do list for the afternoon. Each afternoon looks a little different, but today I helped prep slides for a briefing my team will give next week.
Q: What did you learn in the MSDS program that you have found most useful in your career so far? And what do you wish you had learned?
Since I spend most of my day coding, I found the Python courses in the MSDS program to be the most useful. Even seemingly small things — like understanding the difference between object-oriented programming and functional programming — have significantly improved my efficiency in my current job.
Q: How did the MSDS capstone project prepare you for your current work?
The MSDS capstone project taught me how to communicate with professionals in real-world environments and apply critical thinking skills to any project. It gave me experience working with messy data, integrating domain knowledge, and justifying methodological choices.
Q: Were there specific classes, projects, or professors that you found particularly influential in preparing you for your career?
One of my favorite professors in the MSDS program was Don Brown. He brought years of industry experience into the classroom, which made the material feel incredibly relevant and applicable. He challenged us to think like decision-makers and communicate our findings clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
Q: What networking opportunities or alumni resources played a role in securing your current position or aiding your professional development?
Messaging UVA alumni on LinkedIn played a huge role in landing my current position. Reaching out to people in data-related fields helped me gain valuable insights into the industry and tailor my application materials. Many alumni offered advice, shared interview tips, and some even referred me internally.
Q: How do you perceive the impact of your MSDS degree on your career advancement and opportunities?
Building on my undergraduate coursework, the MSDS degree taught me crucial technical skills that I utilize in my current position. From data wrangling with Pandas to building predictive models with scikit-learn, the MSDS program gave me a solid foundation in data science. Without this degree, I would not be where I am today.
Q: Was there a student experience or classmate/cohort interaction during your time at School of Data Science that stands out as particularly memorable or transformative for you?
One of my favorite student experiences during my time in the MSDS program was orientation. The many activities, especially the cookout (put on by the School of Data Science Office of Student Affairs) facilitated connections with my future classmates. Being in an environment with so many like-minded people was exhilarating.
Q: As you look ahead, where do you envision yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years? Are there specific career goals, projects, or milestones you aspire to achieve in the coming years?
I would love to go back to school for my Ph.D. in Data Science or some other related field and eventually work in the environmental consulting industry.
