What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?
I love learning and sharing the love of learning with others, especially about data and science, particularly how putting those components together can accomplish great things.
What led you to your current role?
I have been a scientist my whole professional life, and I have always worked with data, for discovery! My current role allows me to pursue that passion every single day.
Did you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced you, can you tell us about them?
I was always influenced very positively by teachers who stretched my ways of thinking, beyond book knowledge, and who challenged me to go deeper into learning new ideas.
Can you describe to us a current project/transformation you are working on?
I am excited to be working on projects that exploit the power of data to give insights into the behavior of people, processes, and products. Behavioral analytics applies to all things, and the data give us signals as to the intents, motivations, responses, and behaviors of things everywhere: healthcare, cybersecurity, marketing, machines, and more. This is a transformative way of thinking about and utilizing data for insights discovery, decision-making, innovation, and value creation.
What has this project taught you?
This is an ongoing experience. I continue to learn everyday the amazing extent of this data-driven approach to things as well as its limitations. Data science is a great tool, but it is only the tool for assisting our ways of thinking and doing things.
What excites you most about the future?
I see the best and brightest young minds coming into this field (data science, machine learning, AI), as well as into the STEM disciplines, in greater numbers than I can remember in my lifetime. This bodes well for a brilliant future.
If you could give 1 piece of advice to someone looking to start a career in data & analytics, what would it be?
Always follow your passion first. You can apply data and analytics to any discipline, vocation, or avocation. So, stay true to your own north star, and follow that, with a healthy dose of data and analytics to enlighten and inspire the way. If you do what you love, you will always love what you do.