A Better Approach to Problem Solving
Data Scientist, Aspen Technology
The concepts learned at Illinois Tech's Master of Data Science program are directly utilized during Niharika Karia's day-to-day work in process optimization.
Niharika Karia (M.A.S. Data Science ’16)Niharika Karia currently works as a data scientist at Aspen Tech, a company that specializes in process optimization. She is using machine learning to build predictive models for the oil and chemical industries to improve performance.
“On a day-to-day basis I apply multiple concepts I learned at Illinois Tech,” she says. “Particularly advantageous were the courses on algorithm design and analysis, machine learning, and applied statistics.”
Karia attributes much of her success in this position to Computer Science Professor Sanjiv Kapoor’s example-based teaching, which helped her develop a better approach to problem solving.
Karia also recalls subtle, yet empowering, advice from Shlomo Argamon, Master of Data Science program director and computer science professor, who offered words of encouragement when she learned about an interview for an internship.
“When I got my first interview call, I went to Professor Argamon for advice,” she says. “I was nervous about the interview since it was my first interview in the United States. I was not sure what to expect. I had many doubts in mind. After helping resolve my doubts, the professor gave me more advice on using narrative as a data scientist, which gave me a better way of expressing my strengths.”