Earlier this year, the UChicago Data Science Society brought alums back to campus to talk about their careers applying data science for social impact. After completing their masters’ degrees, both Jomana Abdelrahman (MAPSS ’23) and Robert (Bobby) Surridge (MSCAPP ’24) went on to Parliament Data, an analytics consultancy focused on the social sector. Abdelrahman, a Research and Data Analyst at Parliament, and Surridge, a Data Sciences & Visualization Associate, joined current students to share a look into what they’ve learned so far.

Events like this one, hosted by the Data Science Society, invite students to think broadly about possible avenues to apply data science, and the diverse career paths open to them after graduation. Sessions also create opportunities for DSI’s network of industry partners such as Parliament to connect with interested students, and allow students to hear from near-peers about their experiences and the skills they’ll need so they can start building them on campus, whether through coursework or experiential learning in the Data Science Clinic.

Abdelrahman and Surridge shared how their data science education has enabled them to contribute to a diverse set of community organizations and stakeholders at the Chicago-based advisory to nonprofit leaders, public officials, social entrepreneurs and funders. As an illustrative example, they walked students through their work on artlook, Parliament’s national asset mapping platform that empowers cities to identify and address gaps in arts education access for students. 

Asked for insight into their day-to-day and the skills needed to succeed in their line of work, Abdelrahman and Surridge emphasized the importance of being able to use data and visualizations to tell a story, to illustrate why an issue matters, or how a proposed solution could address it. They also spoke about the iterative process of working with clients to understand and meet their needs.

When asked how recent advances in AI and machine learning have impacted their work, they provided insights into the evolution of the data discovery process given innovations in predictive modeling. Abdelrahman and Surridge also offered students advice on looking for data science jobs in the social sector and answered audience questions afterward.

Thank you to Bobby and Jomana for sharing their experiences and giving students a glimpse into how they can apply their skills to careers in social impact.

To learn more about how your organization can engage UChicago students and build recruitment connections, contact the DSI team.