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MSDS Alumni Profile: Rory Black
Rory Black
Employment
Leidos, Inc., Quantitative Analyst/Data Scientist (Remote)
Education
M.S in Data Science 2023, University of Virginia
B.S. in Mathematics 2022, University of Mary Washington
Q: Walk us through what you did at work today.
Today, a lot of my efforts were focused on cleaning up data. Using Python, I compared our data source against other data sources to attempt to fill in missing values. We are currently in the process of standing up a new database, so a big piece of that process is making sure that our data is in a good place.
Q: What did you learn in the M.S. in Data Science (MSDS) program that you have found most useful in your career so far? And what do you wish you had learned?
A lot of the data cleaning skills we learned in DS 6001 have been the most useful to me. Everyone always talks about how 80% of data science is cleaning your data. Learning how to quickly and efficiently manipulate your data makes the analysis part a whole lot easier!
I wish I had more exposure to SQL during the MSDS program. I work closely with a few SQL Developers, so it would have been nice to have more SQL knowledge coming into my position.
Q: How did the MSDS Capstone project prepare you for your current work?
The biggest part of the Capstone experience that prepared me for my current work was communication with our sponsor. My Capstone partner and I would regularly have meetings with our sponsor to share updates on our progress. It took a few meetings for us to learn how to best present information to our sponsor in a way that was valuable.
In my current position, I regularly have to present my findings around a piece of analysis back to my team or even to our federal client. My Capstone project helped me learn how to present information in a concise but informative way.
Q: Were there specific classes, projects, or professors that you found particularly influential in preparing you for your career?
I think Dr. Jonathan Kropko’s DS 6001 class was the most influential in preparing me for my career. During our class times, we would spend the first half of class learning about a new topic, and we would get a chance to spend the second half of class practicing implementing whatever skill or process we were learning about. The hands-on nature of that class and Professor Kropko’s fun approach to each topic allowed that class to be really influential.
Also, Eric Field taught the SARC 5400 (Data Visualization) elective offered through the School of Architecture, and I found it to be another very useful course. That class allowed me to see how powerful visualizations can be and how the way that you present data can greatly impact the way your audience receives it.
Q: What networking opportunities or alumni resources played a role in securing your current position or aiding your professional development?
I got an interview for my current job because a past undergrad classmate reached out to me through LinkedIn with the opportunity. You never know who from your past will influence your future! I’m grateful that I made a connection with my now coworker while at my undergrad institution because it led me to my current position.
Q: How do you perceive the impact of your MSDS degree on your career advancement and opportunities?
My time at UVA in the MSDS Residential program gave me a lot of connections to other people in the world of Data Science. I am still friends with a lot of the people from my cohort. If in the future I did ever want to seek a new career opportunity, I know that I have connections to others in the field.
Also, I know that my connections exceed just my cohort. The SDS support staff does a great job of keeping alumni involved with the school and keeping past, current, and future students connected.
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?
I feel so lucky to have been a part of such a great cohort because it gave me so many memories with great people. We had the opportunity to do a lot of things outside the classroom together like going tubing, hiking, or just hanging around Charlottesville.
As fun as those things were, anytime there was a group of people studying in Elliewood after classes, I was enjoying myself. Having that space to be together was so influential in our cohort’s dynamic and gave us the chance to bond in an academic and personal sense.
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 am really happy with the position I am in now and would not be surprised if I was still there in 5 years! I hope to continue to grow in my current position over the next 5 years by expanding my toolkit and becoming more valuable to my team by continually growing my knowledge of our client and their data. Above all, I think my main goal is just to continue to enjoy my work!
