Rahul Agarwal has a software development background, but the potential to discover insights and create stories from a series of data points drives his interest in data science.

“Software developers rarely get to interact with the clients themselves,” Agarwal said. “Once I discovered the ‘problem statements’ of data science and how they are connected to business decisions, I saw the connection with entrepreneurship and I was hooked.” 

Agarwal worked for Oracle Utilities as an application developer before enrolling in Columbia University’s M.S. in Data Science program. His undergraduate coursework in information technology at Manipal Institute of Technology in India included web development, software development, design, and natural language processing. He completed online credentials in applied machine learning and text mining in Python, as well as Apache Kafka cluster setup and administration.

“Technical skills are a start, but you also need to think from a business perspective. Why do you have this data? Why is it important? Connecting those questions with your technical analysis gets you the insights vital for your organization.”

Agarwal also believes it is data scientists’ responsibility to ensure the fairness of their models. “But bias can also manifest in interpretations and storytelling. We need to recognize biases at every stage to make sure they don’t cascade.”

Before arriving in New York and starting classes at Columbia in January 2021, Agarwal participated in Data Science Institute (DSI) activities virtually and joined the DSI Student Council. He hosted an episode of the council’s podcast, Outlier Detected, and worked with other members to develop a “one-stop” data science education resource for M.S. in Data Science students.

Agarwal has found that one of the best perks of studying at Columbia—beyond interacting with others who are doing exceptional work and access to top-notch internships like his Summer 2021 experience at Goose Hollow Capital—is being able to explore New York City.

“I’m already seeing so much difference watching [New York] emerge from COVID,” he said. “I remember when the streets were empty. Now things are still buzzing at 2 a.m. It’s good to see the city that never sleeps.”

— Karina Alexanyan, Ph.D.