Patricia is a tenacious tech entrepreneur with over 15 years of executive experience. Prior to joining Data Science Alliance, she was the CEO and co-founder of NotesFirst, a cloud-based platform that helps doctors capture and improve the quality of health data in emerging markets of the world. She was selected as a Fellow and Speaker at the 2018 Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit held by the United Nations in New York City, and was featured in Forbes’ “60 Women-Led Startups That Are Shaking Up Tech Across The Globe”. At the age of 21, Patricia started her first company, LFC Solutions.Net – the first online accounting platform in the Philippines. With her boundless energy and passion for Responsible Data Science, she is determined to help DSA grow.
Kallyn is known for uniting the community through authentic storytelling. Before joining Data Science Alliance, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in Media Arts, Science & Technology at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. As an anchor and multimedia reporter at an ABC News station, Kallyn spent three years producing dynamic stories that gave others a voice and kept the public well informed. She now uses her journalistic background to advance the Responsible Data Science conversation with visual and written content that educates and inspires action.
Phish has been a designer for 14 years and has a great love for designing products that improve the lives of others. In 2023, Phish started their first company, Corsin Haus Inc, with a focus on providing Product Design, Brand Design, and Design System services to small and medium-sized companies. Phish is passionate about the positive impact that DSA can have on data science practices and is excited to be a part of DSA's continued growth. In addition to their work as a product designer, Phish is also a small farmer and foster parent to five kids.
With an eye for color, design, and problem-solving, Czarina aims to use her visual creativity to make a positive impact for her community. She was the first in her family to earn a college degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from San Diego State University. She was drawn to the UI/UX field because of its focus on critical thinking and visual design. Beyond her career endeavors, Czarina finds other forms of self-expression. She’s a passionate performer, dancing for multiple K-Pop cover groups that find joy by sharing the music they love. And Czarina is trilingual—she can speak and translate English, Spanish, and Tagalog!
Born and raised on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Adir fell in love with San Diego when he first visited the US more than a decade ago. A trained economist with over 10 years of experience, Adir earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in Brazil – where he received the award for Best Undergraduate Thesis in the Department of Economics in 2012. He recently earned his PhD in Economics at Florida International University and also holds a Data Scientist Professional Certificate from DataCamp. Adir’s passion for problem-solving with data has led him to a career in the exciting world of data science.
When Gina says she’s managed a circus, it isn’t a metaphor. She was the resident stage manager for the San Diego based Lindley Lopez Circus for half a decade. Gina’s career is grounded in creating systems that facilitate the success of the leaders around her, and in anticipating and executing the needs of the organizations she serves. After her circus days, she served as the program manager for Canopy San Diego, a business accelerator for the legal cannabis market in Southern California. Gina currently serves as the main point of contact for the Properties division of Keshif LLC. She also assists in the Startup Investment and Philanthropic divisions of Keshif, helping run the new show in town – DSA.
Data scientist, startup pioneer, and DSA founder Taner Halıcıoğlu has always been fluent in the practical and the visionary. To solve intractable problems, he embraces both. Taner practiced the art of data science before it had a name - leveraging data in concert with his skills as a software developer and systems engineer, helping tech giants Cisco, LoudCloud and eBay scale their capacity to match their goals. He continued to turn founders’ visions into realities when he joined Facebook as its first full time employee. As a software and operations engineer, Taner architected key hardware and software infrastructure that enabled the social network’s explosive growth, laying the groundwork for its now more than 2.5 billion users worldwide. After leaving Facebook in 2009, he was recruited to launch Starcraft 2 successfully for Blizzard - a dream job for a longtime gamer and worldbuilder. In 2017 he established the Halicioglu Data Science Institute at his alma mater UCSD, to expand the practice of data science to solve problems worldwide.
Dr. Ilkay Altintas earned the moniker “Lady of Fire” for her groundbreaking work using real time data to predict and contain wildfires. However, as Chief Data Science Officer of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, it’s hardly the first thing she’s set ablaze. At UCSD, Ilkay is Chief Data Science Officer of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and Founder and Director of the Workflows for Data Science (WoRDs) Center. Ilkay’s research has performed drug testing simulations to isolate genes to fight cancer, created tools being used to build the world’s first commercial scale fusion reactor, and designed modular workflows to analyze the human biome. She is a scientist’s scientist—her innovation accelerating the process of discovery for others. Ilkay is also an educator, teaching the next generation of big data experts as a Fellow at the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute and breaking sign-up records with her Big Data Specialization MOOC course for learners worldwide. She faces her toughest students, however, when she testifies before Members of Congress, providing instruction on the impact and value of national investment in science.
Before Dr. Bradley Voytek was a respected UCSD Professor and neuroscientist, he was a renegade data scientist revolutionizing transportation at Uber. Brought in to bring direction to the chaos at the nascent startup, he helped Uber use data to change how we move through cities worldwide. Following his exit, Brad dusted off his PhD in Neuroscience from UC Berkeley determined to bring a data scientist’s acumen to traditional research. By aggregating and examining the data of fellow neuroscientists, his award winning research has isolated neural activity critical to understanding cognition and disease. An evangelist for the power of data science to create cross disciplinary advances, Brad serves as both a start-up investor and advisor. Cognizant of the need to build a pipeline of talent in the field, he also teaches the next generation of data scientists as a founding faculty member at the Halıcıoglu Data Science Institute and the Neurosciences Graduate Program at UC San Diego. Brad also moonlights as a consultant to the United States National Academy of Sciences Science & Entertainment Exchange - aiding and abetting the talents of writers and filmmakers in their portrayals of science.
Not many people who understand cognitive neuroscience become attorneys, and not many attorneys become founders. Nedim Halicioğlu has defied the odds. Comfortable wearing both the hats of investor and entrepreneur, Ned has founded several startups, and evaluated the prospects of hundreds more with the head of a researcher and the heart of a founder. Ned has an eye for finding and elevating talent, and brings an attorney’s acuity to the companies he shepherds. Having conducted research and practiced medical litigation, he applies his understanding of each to evaluating early stage companies. Ned currently handles investment strategies for Keshif Ventures, LLC and serves on the board of NotesFirst, Inc, a state-of-the-art medical record app bringing access to underserved communities and emerging markets around the world. Continuing to confound norms as a composer, Ned’s genre is digital music - when in life he is more of a metalhead.
Alex Bates was drawn into the world of technology because it was rebellious. From hacking schematics from the early Internet as an 80's kid, to publishing a computational solution to diagnose early stage glaucoma as an undergraduate, Alex has combined data and industriousness to innovate. After applying analytics on some of the world’s largest data warehouses at Teradata, Alex was co-founder and CTO of Mtell, acquired by AspenTech in 2016.
Mehri is a third-year BA/MPP student at UC San Diego, earning a bachelor's degree in economics with a minor in cognitive science and a Master's in Public Policy with a concentration in program analysis. Outside of the classroom, Mehri leads a Board of Supervisors outreach department, where she works with infrastructure and data to improve the lives of over 600,000 constituents. Mehri is also the proud founder of a budding 501(c)3, in which she works with grassroots organizations in the commerce sector, using data responsibility with programming techniques to analyze and visualize trends related to the small business sector, as well as serving as an advocate for microbusinesses in her home community of Scripps Ranch.
As an SDSU Big Data Analytics graduate with 2.5+ years of experience in data science roles at SEW, UCSD Health, and gravityAI, Saiprasanth specializes in AI/ML technologies, including ML, NLP, deep learning, LLMs, data analytics, and engineering. With a strong computer science background and proficiency in languages like Python and C++, he excels in problem-solving and teamwork and is dedicated to innovating scalable solutions in the AI and ML sectors.
Sylvia, currently a PhD candidate in the department of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego, is researching the cognitive neuroscience of human visual perception. Born and raised in Henan, China, she moved to the United States 10 years ago to pursue bachelor's degrees in both Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at UC Davis, graduating with honors. In addition to her academic pursuits, Sylvia is interested in exploring the potential of new technologies and the cognitive impacts of technology and data science on society. As she builds her career in the field of data science, Sylvia aims to make a positive impact by helping others solve complex problems.
Leslie is a Data Science and Engineering graduate student at UC San Diego. She’s also an independent publisher and small-business owner! Leslie found her way to the data science field through her love of all things STEAM, starting as a child and continuing through her Bachelors in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. Between undergrad and grad school, she worked at several startups, using her technical and interpersonal skills to help benefit people and communities in meaningful ways. She now spends her free time hiring, publishing, marketing, and distributing art and story books to a global audience — where proceeds are donated to charity. Leslie’s enthusiasm for creating a positive impact via an ethical and responsible use of data science will only be amplified by her work at DSA.
Hayley is an innovator, designer, and engineer. She recently finished her Master's in Information Science at Cornell University and has a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of Toronto. Hayley loves creating information systems that are designed around people's needs and abilities. She spent several years researching how people interact with computers and enjoys creating content that explains complex ideas in a way that's easy to understand. Now at DSA, Hayley is looking forward to using her wide range of skills and creative ideas in the data science community.
Claire recently graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in cognitive science, specializing in machine learning and neurocomputation. During her junior year, she joined DSA and was inspired by the organization's emphasis on Responsible Data Science. Recognizing the immense power of big data, Claire firmly believes in the importance of ensuring the safety of individuals using big data products—a passion that drives her. At DSA, Claire aims to leverage her knowledge to initiate change and devise strategies to educate the community about data ethics and RDS principles.
Trista recently graduated from UCSD with a major in cognitive science and a minor in data science in March. She is currently aspiring to pursue a master's degree in data science. Trista is deeply motivated to leverage the potential of data to make meaningful contributions to society. Recognizing the profound impact that technology and big data have brought about, she is passionate about bridging the gap between public perception and the work of the data community. By joining DSA, Trista aims to align her values with Responsible Data Science and create a positive impact through her efforts.
Dillan is a current graduate student in UCSD's Cognitive Science program. She first came to data science via neuroscience, which regularly presents challenges in unifying, interpreting, and visualizing multiple high-dimensional data streams. Her passion for unraveling the mysteries of the brain is matched only by her delight in creating data visualizations that are informative, educational, and colorful! She hopes to leverage her training in complex human systems and ethical data science practices for solving real-world problems.
Eduardo is a dedicated data science student at the University of California, San Diego, and is on track to graduate in June 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in data science and a minor in finance. Demonstrating a dynamic skill set, Eduardo contributed significantly as a Planning Intelligence Intern at Copa Airlines in Panama City, where he played a pivotal role in deploying ML models and optimizing flight schedules. As the president of Blockchain at San Diego, Eduardo initiated educational programs and fostered partnerships, showcasing his leadership and commitment to community engagement. Eduardo now brings his diverse experiences and passion for data science to the Data Science Alliance.
Orion is an aspiring UI/UX designer, currently studying cognitive science with a specialization in design at UC San Diego. He found interest in the UI/UX design field because of its strong reliance on user data to represent a target audience properly. Outside of academics, he is also a performer who creates and brings life to different dance projects across campus. He has developed a love for teaching others through his academics and part-time passions. He aims to leverage his various experiences, both in dance and academia, to bring a different but representative perspective to the RDS conversation.
We value the unique perspectives and ideas that arise from a diverse and inclusive community.
We strive for honesty and transparency in our projects and operations.
We are dedicated to nurturing a community that is engaged with our mission. We seek to develop as individuals and as a team, inspired to learn, innovate, and collaborate.
We work to stay ahead of the curve as Responsible Data Science knowledge and practices are ever-evolving.
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UX Product Design Intern 20xx-2022
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Be a part of the RDS movement. Help us foster awareness and grow our impact. Let us know how you’d like to apply your background and expertise to our projects!
We’re looking for ambassadors of Responsible Data Science (RDS)—people passionate about promoting RDS and supporting mission-driven organizations through ethical data projects. As a DSA intern, you’ll have the opportunity to gain real-world experience at a tech nonprofit and network with industry experts. You don’t have to be a data scientist though—we are also looking for graphic designers and creative storytellers who can help bring our projects and online content to life!
DSA interns are required to work a minimum of 15-20 hours/week and must be able to work in-person at our San Diego office once a week. Our internships follow the quarterly academic calendar.
At DSA, we're committed to growing and empowering an inclusive community within our organization and industry. We cultivate diverse teams of the best and brightest from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. DSA encourages everyone—including women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and those in the LGBTQIA+ community—to apply.