WiDS Puget Sound 2024 Volunteers
Overall Leads
Yash is passionate about using data to bring positive change. Her areas of interest include application of analytics in the field of healthcare, public administration, urban development, and smart city projects. She works as a data analyst in the healthcare industry and got her masters in Analytics from the University of Washington, Seattle.
I joined the data science field after 6 years working with environmental nonprofits. Since my passion for volunteering still needs an outlet, I leapt at the opportunity to get involved with Data Circles and the Women in Data Science Puget Sound conference. After DS boot camp and a year of consulting, I joined the small, but mighty team of data scientists at Trupanion. My dog greatly appreciates his insurance benefits. Excited to experience another year of knowledge sharing with WiDS!
Marketing Team
Jessica is a data analyst in Quality Assurance at Seagen, supporting compliance operations to ensure that cancer therapeutics meet the highest standards of quality. She holds a certificate in Data Analytics from the University of Washington, which she pursued after several years of working in biotech. She has a BS in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University. When she isn’t working, she enjoys painting her nails, practicing yoga and pilates, and spending time with her cat. Jessica is new to WiDS as of the 2023 conference but is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of women excelling in her field.
Jessica Price - Co-lead
Kritika is a software engineer with a passion in data science and analytics. Currently she is a freelance data analyst and MBA graduate with a certification in business analytics. She loves cooking, and spending time in nature.
Kritika Gupta - Co-lead
Modupeola Fagbenro, a dedicated and results-driven Master of Science in Data Science student at George Washington University, possesses expertise in machine learning and a history of impactful projects as a Data Science Intern and Business Intelligence Analyst/Data Analyst. Committed to volunteerism, Modupeola actively contributes to sustainability data science research at George Washington University's Data Science for Sustainability Development Hub, with an aspiration to leverage data and machine learning tools for global problem-solving.
With over a decade of experience in marketing for consumer electronics, Valentina took a detour into owning her own business. Now by pursuing a graduate degree in business analytics she is looking to bring together her past experience and new knowledge.
Neha is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Business Analytics from the University of Washington, Seattle, building upon her foundational Bachelors in Engineering. With prior experience as a software engineer at CGI, Neha has developed a keen interest in business analytics, particularly in areas like business intelligence for data visualization and storytelling for crafting narratives that breathe life into data. Beyond her professional pursuits, Neha loves baking and also finds joy in exploring new places by going on hikes. She is also passionate about volunteering to give back to the community.
Content Team
Anjali works as a data scientist at Seagen, and specializes in advancing cancer research and drug development using AI and machine learning solutions. She received her Ph.D. in biotechnology and has diverse research experience in several areas such as molecular biology, data science, programming, and statistical analysis. She is passionate about solving real-world problems by combining her knowledge of biology with data-driven technical skills.
Anjali Aggarwal - Co-lead
Maryna is a CS junior at the UWB, interested in ML and NLP. Last year she loved helping WiDS as a part of the Experience team, and now she’s super excited to co-lead the Content committee! In her free time, she likes reading and spending time outdoors (gardening/hiking).
Maryna Sivachenko - Co-lead
Dieta completed her PhD in Evolutionary Biology at McGill University, where she got her start in analyzing large data sets, working with genetic data from quickly-evolving fish. She then went through the Insight Data Science program where she developed an app that helps write better Stack Overflow questions. She now works at Expedia as a Data Scientist on the marketing analytics team.
Caroline is a data scientist at ExtraHop where she researches and engineers algorithms to detect cybersecurity threats. She has a PhD in astrophysics and enjoys playing cello and ukulele.
Twitter: @carocaldwell
Louisa is an Advisory Consultant at Deloitte. Currently, she works on a data lake team where she leverages her data science skills to solve problems in cyber security. Her career interests and expertise include NLP, ML, MLOps, and data visualizations. However, she originally started her career as a chemist, possessing both a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Gonzaga University and a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Washington. During her Master's degree, she decided to pivot to data science after completing an NLP research project. In her free time, she enjoys lifting weights, gardening, playing DnD, and walking her dog.
Satenik is a data scientist with more than 7 years of experience in Machine Learning, Operations Management, Finance and Marketing. She is very passionate about creating business value using data and AI. During her free time she enjoys testing out new recipes while listening to science fiction books.
Sarah first became interested in data science during quantitative research courses in her master's program (a dual degree in public policy and German and European studies), and followed up on that interest through a fellowship with The Data Incubator. Since then, she has worked as a data scientist on an innovation team in the freight logistics space. She attended the virtual editions of WiDS in previous years and is thrilled to join the planning team for the upcoming conference and give back to this community.
CFP Reviewers
Poornima Muthukuma is a Senior Technical Product Manager at Microsoft with over 10 years of experience in developing and delivering innovative solutions for various domains such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, distributed and big data systems. She has a Master's Degree in Data Science from the University of Washington. Poornima holds eight Patents at Microsoft specializing in AI/ML/Big Data Systems and was the winner of the Microsoft Global Hackathon in 2016 in the Artificial Intelligence Category. She was honored to be on the Grace Hopper Conference reviewing panel for the Software Engineering and Data Science category this year 2023. She is based in Seattle and have previously lived in India, Singapore, and Ireland. She loves meeting new people and having intelligent conversations over a cup of coffee.
I'm a Data Scientist at Microsoft, with degrees from Johns Hopkins University and PSG Tech, India. Passionate about data-driven decision-making, I'm dedicated to leveraging insights to drive innovation. Additionally, I'm deeply committed to improving women's representation in tech and actively champion diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Apoorva is a Masters Data Science student at University of Washington. She earlier worked as a Management Consultant at Mckinsey & Company where she worked on digital transformation projects across pharmaceuticals, banking, agriculture and healthcare. She is passionate about solving real life business problem by applying her expertise on machine learning and data science. In her free time, she likes to read fantasy books and go for runs in pretty parks.
I am a Data Scientist based in Seattle, WA. I hold a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. I'm strongly committed to building robust data-intensive applications, and bring expertise in ML/AI, cloud technologies, and computational biology to my work. Prior to Cartography, I interned at the Vector Institute for AI as a machine learning researcher, where I developed and published statistical and ML methods for time-series in healthcare. During my undergrad, I conducted and published computational biology research work at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
I regularly share insights and technical expertise through my technical blogs (https://uptodata.substack.com/). You can explore my coding projects on my GitHub profile (https://github.com/kopalgarg), and my research publications on my Google Scholar profile (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=0iZls38AAAAJ).
I am a Ph.D. student at the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. My research focuses on the human-centered machine intelligence area, specifically understanding users' perceptions and the socio-emotional aspects of users' experiences to support data-driven decisions and enhance user experience. I have extensive experience in Human-Computer Interaction, Natural Language Processing, and Data Visualization. I am an effective communicator eager to learn new stuff and apply my skills and knowledge in a dynamic and collaborative team environment.
Sponsorship Team
Dana discovered data science about 6 years ago while working as a project manager at a company that had a great deal of data. Her career had trended away from numerical methods where she received a PhD. To get more involved with data science she enrolled in the Metis Data Science Bootcamp after which she worked as a data scientist for 3 years. She then joined Nordstrom as a Sr. Technical Program Manager for a data science team, pulling together much of her past experience. She has been a part of the conference planning committee for the past 2 years and is excited to be a part of the committee again this year
Dana Lindquist - Lead
Swathi is experienced in Project Management and in the manufacturing industry looking to restart a career in data science. She is highly skilled in communicating with clients and customers.
Swathi Guruduth
Jenica Andersen is a Data Scientist focusing on reducing carbon emissions with the Burning Man Project. She came to data science with over 10 years of international and domestic experience as an Earth Scientist, where her love for data science started as a "big data" project, creating end-user controlled probability maps from layers of exploratory data. With a Master's Degree from Dartmouth College, a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in GeoSciences from the University of Montana, and the University of Potsdam, Germany, and a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Montana, she solidified her Data Science and Machine Learning love through a Metis bootcamp in 2021. She now uses data pipeline construction, data cleaning and visualizations, and app development to help Burning Man, the non-profit, understand its greenhouse gas emissions, in order to reach its net-negative emissions goals by 2030.
Soohyun is a master's student in Statistics at the University of Washington, with a keenness for creating social impact and storytelling. After pursuing her bachelor's in Sociology and Economics, she found her passion in using data and statistics to address key social questions. She previously worked as a data analyst in Hyperconnect, a social discovery platform company in Korea, before coming to the US to pursue her graduate studies. Outside of her studies and work, she is often found writing for her blog, traveling around, and looking for the best coffee roasteries in town.
Ikya is a Data Scientist at Microsoft Advertising where she works in the Business Planning & Forecasting team. Prior to Microsoft, Ikya graduated with a Masters in Data Science from Columbia University, New York & Bachelors in Computer Science form VIT Vellore, India. She is passionate about analyzing & modeling data-driven solutions to business problems.
Ikya Jupudy
Rebecca Grollman is a Senior Data Scientist at Zillow. Her work focuses on experimentation and research to help home buyers connect with agents. Before jumping into data science, Rebecca earned her Ph.D. in physics at Oregon State University. Rebecca first got involved in the Women in Data Science Puget Sound Conference as a speaker, and has been on the planning committee for the last five years. She has enjoyed seeing the conference grow and create a supportive community for women in science and technology. Rebecca also enjoys playing the flute, running, and journaling.
Kristin is a co-founder and Board President of Diversity in Data Science, a Washington nonprofit corporation focused on supporting and building diversity in data science and other data-related fields. She is also a leader with the Women in Data Science Puget Sound Conference and a Senior Data Scientist at Seagen. She is passionate about data digitalization, data harmonization, and harnessing data to advance cancer therapeutics. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, board games, and her two cats.
Experience Team
Hani Patel is Analytics & AI enthusiastic. Currently. she is working on building advanced analytics and robust architecture to provide an omnichannel digital customer experience. She is passionate about women's empowerment through technology and financial freedom. She holds an MS in Software Engineering and a BE in Computer Science. Hani also enjoys reading books, running, hiking, and any outdoor activities. She currently serves as an Experience Team Co-Lead for the WiDS Puget Sound Conference and has been involved with the conference for the last 4 years.
Hani Patel - Co-lead
Allison Hamilton is a results-oriented Data & Research Manager at Syndio who firmly believes in pizza rolls - not gender roles. She is adept at leading teams in the development of advanced people analytics models that empower organizations to make key business decisions. Allie holds her M.S. in Information Systems Management with an emphasis in Data Analytics from Seattle Pacific University combining academic rigor with practical expertise to deliver impactful solutions.
Sukanya Aswini Dutta - Co-lead
Anand Malpani is the Director of Data Science at Surgical Science. He is building a new data science org within Surgical Science to transform how surgeons and healthcare professionals are trained. Prior to this, Anand was at The Johns Hopkins University as an assistant research scientist within the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. This was after he finished his PhD studies at JHU in Computer Science. During this time his research focused on the development of technology using machine learning, virtual reality, and crowdsourcing for augmenting surgical skills acquisition. He is passionate about human learning and has enjoyed collaborating across the disciplines of medicine, education, arts, sciences, and engineering. He obtained a B.Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay (India) before pursuing graduate studies. He enjoys mentoring and is a learner eager to improve his skills. Beyond this he loves every moment of interaction with his kids and explores new recipes in the kitchen with his wife.
Anna is a senior data analyst with 6 years of experience. Anna has experience understanding business needs and providing recommendations in highly ambiguous spaces, building technical solutions using SQL and Python, creating data visualizations in Tableau, and building statistical models. Previous experience includes working in analytics at Zillow, SAP Concur, Payscale, and Remitly. Women’s advocate, aspiring chef, swimmer, and traveler are a few ways to describe her passions. In her time outside of work, Anna volunteers on the advisory board for Undergraduate Women in Business an organization at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. Anna is excited to be back volunteering for the fourth time as a member of the experience committee for the WiDS Puget Sound 2023 Conference.
Malvika is a Software Development Engineer II at Veritas Technologies where she is a results-driven software leader and product owner with a proven track record of designing, building, and shipping successful products while collaborating with diverse teams across various industries. She works with AWS, GCP, and Azure containerization services that integrates data engineering to build pipelines to simplify production workflows. Before that, Malvika obtained her Master’s in Data Analytics from Carnegie Mellon University, specializing in applying ML & data engineering techniques in public policy. She did her bachelor’s in Computer Engineering & is passionate about supporting women in Technology. She was a speaker at WiDS Pudget Sound in 2021.
Panels Team
Houda Aynaou - Co-Lead
Ezgi is an applied behavioral researcher finishing up her PhD at the University of Washington, Seattle where she studies the visual outcomes of sight restoration devices through data-driven methods. She is passionate about diversifying data literacy, open science, and reproducibility; she enjoys volunteering at Carpentries where she teaches professionals with no coding background data management and analysis. She is excited to leverage her domain knowledge and skills in data science to tackle new challenges. She likes clouds, KEXP, and orcas so she is very happy to be in the Puget Sound.
Prathibha R - Co-Lead
Margaret worked as an Economist a federal statistical agency and now works in a similar role as a Senior Analyst for a Federal Home Loan Bank – in short she individually and collaboratively developed statistical/financial estimates and created/managed models.
Larisa comes from a geoscience background and has transitioned into machine learning and data science. She earned her PhD from Stanford and has spent recent years contributing to technology startups. At present, she iworks at Uroboros Innovations, focusing on large language models and geospatial data analysis.
Cecilia is passionate about gender inclusion in STEAM. Her areas of interest include intelligent systems in education field. She recently started her PhD in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence at Gaston Berger University.
Events Team
Radhika Magaji - Co-lead
Teresa currently lives in Boise, Idaho, but fell in love with the Puget Sound area (and data!) while working as a forestry technician in Olympia. After obtaining a MNR in Environmental Education through University of Idaho, she realized that teaching wasn't one of her strengths and pivoted to working as an AmeriCorps VISTA (and then contractor) for the Idaho STEM Action Center and obtained her MS in Data Science from the University of Denver online. Teresa considers 2023 WiDS Puget Sound Conference to be one of the highlights of her year, and it has strengthened her belief that she belongs in the data science field.
Helen Jenne is a postdoctoral researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory working on a variety of projects in network science, topological data analysis, and the mathematics of AI. Prior to joining PNNL she earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Oregon and completed a one-year postdoc at the University of Tours in France. Helen values the vibrant, collaborative environment her career path has provided, and appreciates the opportunities it has afforded to travel and to present her research to a variety of audiences. During her graduate studies, she was an active member and leader in the University of Oregon’s Association for Women in Mathematics and is excited to continue her advocacy for women in STEM as a member of the Women in Data Science community.
Helen Jenne - Co-lead
Shweta Manjunath