MEET OUR GRADUATES: Data Science Students Take on Data-Centric World

This May the Rhode Island College 数学科学系 will graduate its first group of data science majors. They will enter one of the most in-demand careers in the country, with one of the highest median salaries – $108,020 (U.S. 劳工统计局).

Associate Professor of Mathematics Leonardo ibsen Pinheiro was instrumental in the creation of RIC’s B.S. 五年前获得数据科学学位.

Data science, he explains, is a mixture of computer science, statistics and math. With the explosion of “big data,” data scientists are at a premium.

They’re able to process vast quantities of data and utilize advanced algorithms to help companies make data-driven decisions.

At RIC, data science majors start off with courses in statistics, calculus and computer programming. 一路走来, 他们学习线性代数, advanced statistical methods and machine learning,  all while deepening their proficiency in the use of a wide range of computer software.

他们的研究在一次高级研讨会上达到高潮, 这个项目的顶点课程, 由皮涅罗教授(被亲切地称为“皮涅罗博士”). P(他的学生). 在研讨会上, 高年级学生应对现实世界, big data problems – each student picks a data set that is of interest to them and applies the techniques they’ve learned.

Geoff Sargent is big into sports stats, so he applied R programming language on an NFL data set. His dream job is to work for Pro Football Focus, a sports analytics company that analyzes the player grades, 排名和统计的NFL, using R programming (primarily used for statistical computing and graphics).

Kathryn Faria is a psych and data science double major. She collected her data set from a psych research study she and a group of psych students conducted on student work/life balance. Her dream job is to engage in data science for a behavioral health company or mental health research facility.

The data set Laura Valderrama worked with was college tuitions. Ideally, she’d like to work for a nonprofit or government agency. 同样的, Ash Wolski is looking into a government position at the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Her data set consisted of tens of thousands of websites to find out whether or not they are legitimate or phishing sites.

Though Marcel Lemery is not a data science major but a graduate student in mathematics, he’s taken almost every data science course required by the major, 包括研讨会. His goal is to become a professor of math or researcher.

“I recommend that students in all majors take a data science class or double major or minor in data science,他说, 因为它几乎对每个人都有用.”

“Any career that has data in the title, we’re able to work in it,” says Valderrama.

“And our professors at RIC have done a really good job of preparing us for a future career,法里亚说。. “They’re as passionate about this program as the students are, and they’re always available. 他们关心你和你的教育. If we were at a bigger school, I don’t think we would get that level of care and attention.”

ibsen Pinheiro说，RIC的项目规模很小, 只有五岁, “但由于我们的师生比例很低, we’re able to give our students personalized attention,他说. “我办公室的门永远是敞开的. 学生可以在任何时候停下来.”

“Just yesterday, I finished class and had a coding problem,” Faria says. “我走进了Dr. P’s office and was like ‘Alright, let’s brainstorm this for a second.’” 

ibsen Pinheiro smiles, with an eye toward their future. “I can’t wait to see them go out into the world and come back and share their experiences.”

从初创企业到财富500强企业, 从大学到政府机构, 组织正在利用大数据, and they’ll need data scientists to help them make informed decisions. Pinherio has no doubt that his protégés are equipped with the essential skills they need to excel in an increasingly data-centric world.

要了解更多关于数据科学的知识.S. 次要的，访问 数学科学系.