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MSDS Online Program Student Ambassadors
Meet the Admissions Ambassadors of the M.S. in Data Science (MSDS) Online program. Feel free to email an ambassador directly with questions about the master's program or to schedule a time to speak with them by phone or Zoom. They are here to give you the student perspective and share their experiences.
Jett Badalament-Tirrell
(he/him)
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Hometown: Stony Brook, NY
Undergraduate Institution: The University of Virginia
Major: B.S. in Cognitive Science with Computer Science concentration
Q: Do you have previous work experience?
Yes, I have worked as a Game Developer at Little Creature LLC.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
My favorite class in the program so far is DS5100 Programming for Data Science because I enjoy both the subject matter and in-class practice questions. I also have some Python experience already so it allows me to help other students at times.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
While I am open to working as a Data Scientist for most industries, I want to have my work make a meaningful positive impact in the lives of others, Ideally one that I can quantify and revel in the data of! I recently accepted a job as a Corporate Financial Analyst for Northwell Health, and am very excited to explore that industry.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I went to UVA for my undergraduate and LOVED it, the faculty, course material, resources, and peers were all truly wonderful. The only thing I didn’t like was missing my friends and family in New York! When I started looking into Data Science, UVA was the first school I looked into, and the online option for the program as well as its emphasis on practice and teamwork made it a clear top pick for me.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I tend to get really into one hobby at a time! At some points it's been working on personal Pokémon romhacks, at other times it’s been playing Baldur’s Gate III with my dad and grandpa! Most recently I’ve been looking at getting back into playing Commander in Magic the Gathering.
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Abner Casillas-Colon
(he/him)
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Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Undergraduate Institution: George Mason University
Major: B.S. in Business Analytics and Management Information Systems
Q: Do you have previous work experience?
I currently work as a Data Scientist for Accenture Federal Services. I worked as an associate for Kroll in Data Insights and Forensics for the last two years. Before that, I worked in accounting at a defense contractor for five years.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
My favorite class so far has been DS 6001L Practice and Application of Data Science. It does an excellent job of setting the foundation for how to perform very important data wrangling and cleaning tasks that are necessary for anyone who is working in data science and analysis.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
While I apply data science to many things my greatest focus is applying data science to meaningful public policy problems such as housing shortages to assist in researching ways to solve major problems.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I chose UVA as I wanted the flexibility of an online program with the hands-on instruction of an in-person program.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I am an avid motorcyclist and used to work in e-sports.
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Nicholas V. Cagliuso, Jr.
(he/him)
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Hometown: New York, NY
Undergraduate Institution: Northeastern University
Major: Business Administration and Economics, Concentration in Management
Q: Do you have previous work experience? I worked as a Data Analyst Co-op at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. I also worked as a Player Development Associate and Video Operations Associate with the New York Mets across two baseball seasons.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far? My favorite class in the program has been Exploratory Text Analytics, which I am taking as an elective in my fourth semester. As someone with previous education in the liberal arts and social sciences, I love learning about using quantitative data science techniques to analyze textual works to help make inferences about society – what’s known as the “digital humanities.”
Q: What are your research/career interests? I am interested in applying both my skills in this MSDS program and my previous education experience in management and economics to a role on the business/operations side of the automotive industry.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS? I chose UVA for my MSDS because of the school’s clear experience and expertise in data science despite the relative newness of the field. The fact that UVA has offered an MSDS for a decade and that they have devoted the university’s 12th-ever school exclusively to data science shows the commitment to being at the forefront of the discipline.
Q: What is a fun fact about you? I am an avid motorsport fan who has been fortunate enough to attend NASCAR, Formula E, and Formula 1 races in the past. Attending some of the biggest events in motorsport, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is at the top of my bucket list!
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Becky Desrosiers (she/her)
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Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Undergraduate Institution: Averett University
Major: BS in Equestrian Studies: Business Management
Q: Do you have previous work experience? I didn’t have any work experience in Data Science. In undergrad, I worked for the barn where I learned to ride and take care of horses. Working with horses is a good experience for any job, in my opinion. More recently, I have been working as a TA in the data science program for the past two semesters.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far? My favorite class so far has been DS 6001: Practice and Application of Data Science. I learned a bunch of things that I was able to use to help streamline some mundane daily tasks at my job, and I felt so cool doing it!
Q: What are your research/career interests? This program is helping me figure out what I want to do. At this point, I’m interested in contributing to open-source solutions.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS? I went to UVA for 2 years and finished my undergrad at Averett, but I loved UVA for the community and class rigor.
Q: What is a fun fact about you? I play the trumpet.
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Cameron Preasmyer
(he/him)
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Hometown: Quartz Hill, CA
Undergraduate Institution: UC San Diego
Major: Business Economics
Q: Do you have previous work experience?
I served five years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps as a Satellite Communications Operator (0627 for those who know MOS codes) and was discharged as a Sergeant. Afterward, I worked as a building controls engineer at Siemens for a year, then another year as a Quality Assurance Engineer in data centers across Virginia.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
I’m only in my first semester here, but I have to say that I’m really enjoying Linear Models for Data Science. I’m very quantitatively minded, and I’ve been enjoying getting hands-on experience with statistical models and programming together and improving in both areas.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
I like the idea of doing research in the fields of bioinformatics and biostatistics. However, my interests aren’t exclusively limited to those. The program is doing an excellent job of exposing me to new topics and ideas and my ambitions are evolving as I see new areas of opportunity.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I chose UVA for data science because I wanted to be in a program that would set me up for success. When I was researching my options, I found that UVA’s MSDS program had a more rigorous curriculum, greater student outcomes, as well as a more dedicated and accomplished faculty. In addition, UVA’s investment in the School of Data Science was a testament to their commitment to the growing field of Data Science, and their students.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I learned to play the piano by ear.
Abigail Snyder
(she/her)
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Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Undergrad institution: Liberty University
Major: Secondary Education
Q: Did you have previous work experience before joining the program?
Ten years teaching middle and high school English in the international, public, and private educational spaces.
Q: What was your favorite class in the program? After finishing the program, I have to say that my favorite class was the Programming for Data Science class taught by Dr. Kropko. The class had broad applicability, and was both engaging and enjoyable.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
I currently work as a “data science engineer” for a logistics management tech company, which I find quite interesting. I enjoy the work, the culture, and have learned a lot on the job. I did several internships during my time as a student in the MSDS program in the sports tech space, and find that to be quite intriguing as well.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your master's in data science?
I learned that there was a collaborative effort between the school of education and the data science department to use data in the field of education and thought that sounded extremely interesting!
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I race mountain bikes at the elite level, but hate mud (and all things creepy-crawly)!
