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MSDS Online Program Student and Alumni 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 and/or alumni 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, Alumni (he/him)
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Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Employment: Accenture Federal Services, Data Scientist (Arlington, VA)
Education: M.S. in Data Science 2025, University of Virginia
B.S. in Business Analytics and Management Information Systems 2022, George Mason University
Q: Did you have previous work experience before joining (or during) the MSDS Online program?
I currently work as a Data Scientist for Accenture Federal Services. I also worked as an associate for Kroll in Data Insights and Forensics for two years. Before that, I worked in accounting at a defense contractor for five years.
Q: What was one of your favorite classes in the program?
My favorite class was 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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Becky Desrosiers, Alumna (she/her)
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Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Employment: Orgvue, Data Scientist, (Philadelphia, PA)
Education: M.S. in Data Science 2025, University of Virginia
B.S. in Equestrian Studies: Business Management 2023, Averett University
Q: Did you have previous work experience before joining (or during) the MSDS Online program?
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 was your favorite class in the program?
My favorite class was 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?
The program helped 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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Andrea Jacobs (she/her)
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Hometown: Schuyler, VA
Undergraduate Institution: Sweet Briar College
Major: Math-Computer Science and Spanish Business
Q: Do you have previous work experience?
I started my software engineering job over 22 years ago, working on complex systems utilizing C++ and C# programming languages for 7 years. During that time, I thought that I wanted to pursue a career as a Technical Lead/Project Manager. From my experience at that time, I thought to be the best technical leader was to understand the different roles that a technologist could be on a technical team.
For 10 years, I dedicated myself to acquiring the roles and learning areas such as Software Test Engineering/Software Quality Assurance, Release Management/Engineering, Agile Delivery Lead and Process Management. Though I enjoyed learning each of these roles and areas and how they impact the software development life cycle of a system, I missed programming and working with the programmers on technical problems.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
I have enjoyed the programming classes the most with Prof. Alvarado and Prof. Kropko because it has reconnected me to my computer science roots. Its reminded me of how much I enjoy programming.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
Now I’m in exploratory mode because Data Science has so many opportunities to dive into different roles that one can contribute. I have come across some TEDx talks about how Native Americans are influencing AI by using it to preserve their indigenous languages. This captures my interest because, as a first generation Guatemalan American, I would love to help figure out how to help preserve the Mayan languages that exist in Guatemala.
Also, seeing the challenges that Guatemalan indigenous immigrants are having at the border because there are not enough tools to translate the 26+ dialects that Guatemala immigrants alone speak. As one of the AI TEDx speakers alluded to, an AI ecosystem should be able to support all of the human languages that are spoken on our planet if we want to claim it is a tool that will advance humanity.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
Many factors went into my decision to choose UVA for my degree. The top 3 priorities were my family, my style of learning, and cost. I wanted to make sure that as I went on this journey that my 7-year-old daughter and my husband didn’t feel that this was a solo venture. I’m a very ambitious woman and I don’t like to think that I have limitations. So, remembering that I’m human and love seeing my daughter grow, I wanted to be at a place that understood the sacrifices we make to get advance degrees later in life.
The UVA staff and professors have been amazing at ensuring that students knew this. Second, my style of learning is very synchronous, and UVA offers a style of teaching that is very much in-line with my ability. The lecture nights are amazing, office hours with the professors, study groups and online tools. The package UVA offers for the Online MSDS is amazing. It’s very flexible for someone like me that has a family, works with a local non-profit, and hustles with many part-time gigs.
Lastly, the cost of the UVA MSDS online program I feel is very reasonable for the experience that I’m investing in. I live close to Charlottesville, so having the ability to come study when I need, attend MSDS events, and meet the MSDS students in person is also very rewarding.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I was raised in Guatemala City during my early childhood. This connection is what drove me to be the Festival Director for Cville Sabroso Festival in Charlottesville. I love bringing our Latino/e/x community together to celebrate during Hispanic Heritage Month in September when our festival takes place. I love to eat and cook food from all types of ethnicities.
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Chapin (Meny) Large (she/her)
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Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Major: Biology, with minors in Chemistry and Psychology
Current Employer: Toxicology Analyst
Q: Do you have previous work experience?
I don’t have formal experience in data science yet, but I work closely with data every day in my role at a toxicology lab. I analyze biological samples using LC-MS methods, and I’ve realized that what I love most about the job is working with data. I’m excited by how patterns and trends can emerge, revealing insights that help solve problems. This experience handling and interpreting analytical results has sparked my interest in exploring data science more formally.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
My favorite class so far has been Data Engineering: Data Pipeline Architecture. I enjoy how hands-on it is and how it challenges me to think critically about the flow and organization of data. I’m fascinated by seeing how data moves and is structured behind the scenes. Understanding how to build pipelines and keep data flowing smoothly feels like solving a complex puzzle, and it’s exciting to see how all the pieces fit together.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
I’m still exploring what specific path I want to take, but I know I want to stay connected to science. I’m especially interested in finding ways to combine data science with business strategy to make research and innovation more efficient, ethical, and impactful. I also love that I never quite know what new area might spark my curiosity next.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I chose UVA because of its strong reputation for collaboration and its focus on real-world data science. The program’s structure and supportive community stood out to me, making it a place where I could grow, challenge myself, and explore how data science connects to the fields I’m passionate about. With its balance of technical depth, collaboration, and ethical focus, along with the faculty’s expertise, UVA felt like the ideal environment to learn, explore, and connect.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I used to volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center where I cared for all sorts of animals such as owls, squirrels, possums and even a bald eagle! It was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had, and seeing the animals treated and released back into the wild was incredible.
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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 its commitment to the growing field of data science and its students.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I learned to play the piano by ear.
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Michael Walker
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Hometown: Springfield, VA
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Major: Mathematics – Probability & Statistics
Q: Do you have previous work experience?
Yes. I currently work as a Data Scientist at Amp Health, a health-tech startup focused on reducing musculoskeletal injuries in industrial workforces. Prior to this, I was a math tutor at Mathnasium and Northern Virginia Community College.
Q: What has been your favorite class in the program so far?
My favorite class so far is a toss-up between Understanding Uncertainty and Data Engineering. I have a strong fondness for the statistics we’re learning in Understanding Uncertainty—probably because it reminds me of my undergraduate coursework—but the hands-on applications of these concepts in Data Engineering make it a very close contender.
Q: What are your research/career interests?
My current research interests include Computer Vision and Large Language Models, though these are primarily technologies I want to learn to work with more effectively. It may sound a little strange, but my ideal career is one where I can spend my days in a room focusing deeply on solving problems.
Q: What made you choose UVA for your MSDS?
I chose UVA for my graduate studies because of the rigor of the MSDS program. I had the opportunity to take a few data science courses at the School of Data Science and quickly fell in love with the content.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
I’m a single-digit handicap golfer.
Learn more about the part-time, 100% Online MSDS at the University of Virginia. Request more information, connect with Admissions, or start your application today.
