Last week, 260 students in Columbia’s Master of Science in Data Science program began orientation, representing the best and brightest students from across the country and around the globe.

The class is remarkably varied. While nearly half arrive directly from college, others bring more than five years of professional experience. Among them are a former ER nurse, a working data scientist, and  entrepreneurs. They are also highly accomplished. The class includes Fulbright Scholars, GEM Fellows, and students with prior master’s degrees in both public health and physics.

Emmanuelle Brind’Amour, a recent Yale graduate, has already conducted open source geospatial data science research both at Yale and with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and now wants to push the boundaries of computer vision for satellite imagery, tackling challenges in both security and climate science.

Shreyas Kamath, who studied math and computer science at UCLA, discovered data science while working on research with a communications professor, and is excited about its application across domains. He has already been accepted into the DSI Scholars program and will be working with a climate scientist on applied research.

Arturo Mata,  originally trained as a chemical engineer in Mexico City is currently a data scientist at PepsiCo. He enrolled part-time to “not only do good work, but to become the best.” He sees the program as a chance to both deepen his expertise and grow within the company.

Angel Ortega studied physics at the University of Puerto Rico and was drawn to data science as a tool to create change in a range of fields. Columbia stood out not only for its rigor but also its location: “If I ever moved away from Puerto Rico, I wanted to go somewhere my culture is very present. New York is the best place.”

Henrique Schmitz, from Brazil, arrives with seven years of experience in software and robotics and is eager to push further into machine learning and language understanding: “We’ve managed to create models that understand something super well, but there are still gaps. I want to help bridge that.”

Shubham Pareek, from India, studied computer science as an undergraduate and worked for two years at Cognizant Technology on Google Cloud projects. Having been drawn to machine learning during his coursework, he said pursuing graduate study in data science felt like a “natural next step.” After speaking with Columbia alumni he chose the program for its reputation and reach.

This degree gives you the foundation to enter any field and any sector you choose. Use it well.

– Garud Iyengar

After a week of community-building — from sunsets on the Low Library steps to professional development sessions and a visit to the Met Cloisters — the shape of the class also comes into focus. Many studied computer science, engineering, statistics, or data science at institutions such as UC Berkeley, Purdue, UCLA, NYU, and the University of Toronto. Just as striking, though, are the less traditional paths — from public health to music production — that reflect the many talents of the class.

Over the next 18 months, these students will build expertise through rigorous coursework, equipping them with deep, foundational knowledge, as well as hands-on experience, and a strong grounding in ethical practice through DSI’s commitment to Data for Good.

As Garud Iyengar, Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute and Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, told them in his welcoming remarks, Columbia data science alumni have gone on to lead across nearly every domain.

“This degree gives you the foundation to enter any field and any sector you choose,” said Iyengar. “Use it well.”