Tune in, and get inspired with WiDS

This podcast episode features Sohini Sarkar, Principal Product Manager and Senior Team Lead at MathWorks, discussing her career journey and offering advice to listeners. The conversation explores her transition from academia to the corporate world, her passion for product management, and her approach to balancing technical expertise with leadership responsibilities. Sohini’s career path highlights the importance of self-discovery and the willingness to deviate from predetermined expectations.

Claudia Perlich, a leading expert in predictive modeling shares about her work and views on the challenges of using AI and machine learning systems. Perlich discusses the importance of understanding the uncertainty and biases inherent in these models, and the need for careful evaluation and testing before deploying them, especially in high-stakes domains. She emphasizes the collective responsibility of data scientists, domain experts, and decision-makers to ensure these systems are used responsibly and equitably. She also shares insights on the skills and mindset needed for a successful career in predictive modeling, highlighting the value of data curiosity, scientific thinking, and effective communication.

Huda Nassar is a data scientist who did her PhD at Purdue University, advised by David Gleich. Her research focused on graph alignment, using a combination of mathematics and computer science to solve real-world problems. After completing her PhD, Nassar did a postdoc at Stanford and now works at the company RelationalAI, where she develops optimized graph algorithms to help customers. Nassar is passionate about the intersection of mathematics and programming, and advocates for students to take courses in both areas. She also enjoys teaching and is a proponent of the Julia programming language. Nassar discusses how finding the right mentors has been crucial to her academic and career journey.

In this podcast episode, Hannah and Chisoo discuss their shared experiences as immigrants and how that has shaped their perspectives and careers. They explore the value of learning new languages and being immersed in different cultures, as well as the importance of understanding problems before jumping into solutions when working in data science. Hannah shares her leadership philosophy of prioritizing people development, and they both emphasize the need to address burnout and create flexible work environments, particularly for women in the field. The conversation highlights the evolving nature of data science and the opportunities for the next generation of women to thrive in this dynamic industry.

Sydney Hazen, a Privacy Data Scientist at Ford Motor Company, shares her journey from a college intern to a full-time role. She highlights how internships can lead to job offers and the importance of real-world experience and corporate navigation. Sydney emphasizes applying technical skills with a socially conscious approach, understanding problems before diving into data, and credits her professor and diverse classmates for shaping her perspective. She plans to pursue further education and explore different roles, underscoring the unique position of women in data science and the need for self-advocacy and finding mentors.

Listen to Karin Golde, a linguistic expert and AI entrepreneur, as she discusses the rise of large language models (LLMs) and the impact of ChatGPT. Karin reflects on the unexpected popularity of LLMs and the role of OpenAI. The challenges and limitations of LLMs are discussed, including the need for human understanding emphasizing the need for diverse perspectives and cultural understanding in AI development. Karin shares her personal experience of using LLMs and highlights the importance of balancing innovation with regulation in the AI industry. Karin concludes the podcast sharing about her career journey and her recent transition to working as an independent consultant. She offers advice for women considering leadership roles and emphasizes the importance of thinking broadly about one’s place in an organization.

Margot Gerittsen speaks with Colleen Farrelly, Mathematician at Post Urban Ventures and Author of The Shape of Data: Geometry-Based Machine Learning and Data Analysis in R. Colleen is known for network science, topological data analysis, and geometry-based machine learning. This podcast covers the challenges and rewards of interdisciplinary work and her journey in the discipline of data science.

Listen to the incredible and inspiring journey of Avalon Baldwin’s career journey. A self-described data nerd, she was not only the first in her family to attend college, she went on to get a graduate degree. Today she is an entrepreneur running her own consulting company. In conversation with Chisoo Lyons, Avalon shares how curiosity, mentorship, and coaching made a difference in her life.

In this episode, Margot Gerittsen speaks with Kim Grauer. Kim is the Director of Research at Chainalysis, where she examines trends in cryptocurrency economics and crime. Listen as she talks about her obsession with fighting fraud in the cryptocurrency market.