Congratulations to December Graduates of the MS in Data Science Program
Congratulations to the eleven students graduating from the University of Chicago’s MS in Data Science program this quarter: Keegan Ballantyne, Aoran Cui, Noah Geller, Atticus Ginsborg, Qianyi He, Chenghong (Dennis) Hu, Yushan (Cassie) Tang, Siyang Wu, Hongyan (JoJo) Wang, Zhiheng Ye, and Kehan Zhao.
Launched Autumn 2024, the MS in Data Science program was developed for students interested in pursuing research careers in data science. Beyond technical training, the program offers students an opportunity to apply their new skills to an area of interest with the mentorship of world-class faculty through a comprehensive final project. Students go out into the world having already conducted independent research of their own, whether an exploration of a field they’re considering a career in or initial preparation for a PhD.
On November 20, the eleven graduates presented their research to an audience of faculty and friends during the MS in Data Science Graduating Student Lightning Talks at the Data Science Institute. Projects spanned the breadth of data science, from federated learning and privacy-preservation in AI for healthcare, to deep learning methods for neuroscience challenges like real-time brain rhythm estimation, and an investigation into how language models generate and interpret slang. Other projects took on AI agent oversight, generative diffusion models, asset pricing in economics, and accessibility in data science education.
“This cohort tackled an impressive range of research questions,” said MSDS Program Director and Assistant Senior Instructional Professor Edwin Lo. “They’re leaving with real research experience and the skills to take on whatever comes next.”
Several graduates plan to pursue PhD programs in data science, statistics, and computational cognitive science while others plan to continue research at UChicago or pursue roles in AI, healthcare, and tech. The program’s combination of rigorous coursework, faculty mentorship, and hands-on research builds a foundation and network they’ll carry into their careers.
“From tea time opportunities to meet with faculty and PhD students, weekly seminars on cutting edge research, amazing mentorship from my research advisors, and the inspiration provided by the work I saw my peers doing in and out of the classroom,” said member of the graduating class Atticus Ginsborg, “my MS in data science program has really shown me what is possible as a researcher and data scientist and put me in a position to turn those possibilities into reality.”
As they head out into the next chapter of their careers, these eleven graduates take with them the connections they’ve made here—to faculty mentors, to each other, and to the growing MSDS community they helped build.
As graduate JoJo Wang (MSDS ‘25) said, “This program gave me a community to learn with and laugh with, and this journey has inspired me to keep exploring beyond research in work and in life.”
Learn more about the MS in Data Science program.
