Student Spotlight – Umang Chaudhry
How did you become interested in Data Science?
When I first started working with data in 2017 as part of my Senior Honors thesis, I was fascinated to see how much data was easily available on the internet in the public domain that could be used for analysis to solve a multitude of issues. Working with data over the past few years has empowered me to make communication impactful by providing pertinent evidence to bolster my arguments. In any business, we have a vast amount of data available to us that helps us create models to accurately make predictions about various scenarios while analyzing problems at hand. Being a data scientist will allow me to be at the forefront of using the data available to us and help companies make meaningful changes to their strategies that will help their businesses and their customers.
Why did you choose Vanderbilt’s DS MS program?
A few months before graduating from Vanderbilt, the DS MS program was launched and this was around the time I was working on my Undergraduate Honors Thesis. A quick google search told me that I had been doing pseudo-data science as part of my research all along. Research was definitely my favorite part of my undergraduate studies – I loved Geology, but I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue as a career. I reached out to Dr. Blume at the DSI for a quick chat about my work and if I would be well suited for the program. I quickly learned that this program would be perfect for me! Unlike other similar programs, this program was very application heavy, and focused more on how the tech would be used in Industry and prepared students for the same, without getting too deep into the complex math that backs the world of Machine Learning and AI. It also provided ample opportunities to apply the skills we learn in class to the field of our choice with the capstone project, something that I’m really looking forward to!
What is your best piece of advice for an incoming student?
Try and figure out which aspect of data science you’re interested in and focus on it! DS is a wide field and can be something as simple as data analytics or exploratory analysis, and can get extremely complex as you start to understand the math behind Deep Learning. Try and figure out early if you want to go down the PhD route or the industry route. From my experience so far, in industry (depending on what field you choose), the skills you use change from field to field and are often less statistics focused and emphasize programming more, and are often very different than what you would use down the path of a PhD which would be very math and stats heavy. Figure out your strengths and weaknesses early so you can choose the projects that highlight your skills to recruiters or potential schools down the road!
What was your internship this summer?
Over the summer, I got the opportunity to intern as a Data Science Intern at The General. This was probably the most valuable experience I’ve had with Data Science so far and has solidified my decision to pursue a career in the field. I got a chance to work with some really skilled data scientists and saw a lot of professional as well as technical growth in my skills. To know more, check out the company blog where I discuss my internship experience!
https://www.autoregressed.com/blog/understanding-customer-choice-at-the-general
How are you adapting to the new virtual learning lifestyle?
It’s tough! I used to find the time we spent at the DSI between classes extremely valuable, discussing concepts in class that we thought were difficult. We don’t get to do that anymore, and most of us don’t even see each other in person anymore. š I think professors are doing their best to keep class engaging but there are just some inherent disadvantages of attending class at home. There are so many distractions and it’s very tempting to just attend class in bed. I’ve been doing my best so far but it’s easy to miss little things here and there. I’m hoping I’ll eventually get used to this.
Favorite thing to do Nashville?
Candle pouring at Paddywax.