12 Facts About Columbia's Newest MS in Data Science Alumni

From May 12-13, the Data Science Institute celebrated 200 new graduates of its Master’s in Data Science program. 185 finished in December and 15 more completed coursework in May. This class is the tenth ever to graduate from the program, and is a special one in a number of ways.

14 Countries Represented

Reflecting Columbia’s highly international composition, this class of students was roughly 75 percent international. Most international students came to Columbia from China and India. Other students came from Australia, France, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Singapore, Taiwan, and Switzerland, and of course the United States.

Five Students Received Awards from DSI

Each year, the Data Science Institute Student Affairs Team recognizes student excellence with three awards. Eklavya Jain received the Patricia J. Culligan Award for Academic Achievement. Sushant Prabhu received the DSI Community Catalyst Award for contributions to the community, and Vrinda Bhat, Yi Zhuang, and Hugo Ginoux received Data Science Course Assistant Awards.

Two Graduates Will Work in Government or Public Service

Columbia-trained data scientists make their mark across a range of fields in both the private and public sectors. Shrujan Varma Penmetsa is working for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Devan Samant is at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Like many alumni, their paths model DSI’s “Data for Good” tagline.