Data Science Summer 2024 Capstone Project Showcase

Judges

Dr. Rachel Cummings

Associate Professor
Columbia University Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Dr. Rachel Cummings is an associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research and (by courtesy) computer science at Columbia University, where she is also a member of the Data Science Institute and co-chairs the Cybersecurity Research Center. Before joining Columbia, she was an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering and (by courtesy) computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and she received her Ph.D. in computing and mathematical sciences from the California Institute of Technology. Her research interests lie primarily in data privacy, with connections to machine learning, algorithmic economics, optimization, statistics, and public policy.

Dr. Cummings is the recipient of numerous awards including an NSF CAREER award, a DARPA Young Faculty Award, a DARPA Director’s Fellowship, an Early Career Impact Award, multiple industry research awards, a Provost’s Teaching Award, two doctoral dissertation awards, and best paper awards at DISC 2014, CCS 2021, and SaTML 2023. Dr. Cummings is also a fellow at the Center for Democracy & Technology, and she serves on the ACM U.S. Technology Policy Committee, the IEEE Standards Association, and the Future of Privacy Forum’s advisory board.

Prabhat Tripathi

Senior Engineering Manager
Apple

Prabhat Tripathi is a seasoned technology manager with over 20 years of experience in developing and managing cloud-scale applications. Currently, he is a senior engineering manager at Apple, Inc., where he focuses on developing common platforms that are used across various applications within his group to power Apple, including applied machine learning and applied generative AI platforms.

Prior to his role at Apple, Prabhat progressively grew into a technical leader with significant contributions at companies such as Dell Inc., Extreme Networks, and Alcatel Inc. His vast industry experience and technical expertise have consistently driven innovation and efficiency in every organization he has been part of.

Prabhat holds a master’s degree in information and data science (MIDS) from the I School, graduating in 2020. He also holds an MBA from Santa Clara University, and is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Program for Leadership Development (PLDA).

Lesley Matheson

Senior Product Owner
Vanguard Group

Lesley manages, soup to nuts, the external consumer data employed across the enterprise at the Vanguard Group. Her work enables a fascinating and ever-changing set of use cases that require a better understanding of Vanguard clients and their financial product needs. She works with data scientists developing models, analysts, business strategists, and research teams to power their work through better data. 

Lesley is a MIDS alumna who studied through the covid pandemic, where she was particularly focused on machine learning and privacy engineering. Lesley also holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University in computer science specializing in algorithms and a B.S. from the Wharton School in economics and a B.A. in mathematics from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. Lesley has three children, three Cavalier King Charles spaniels and loves masters swimming. Go Bears!