By Brandilyn Buckley
Alan Jian hadn’t always envisioned a career in government. As a data science major at UC Berkeley, he saw himself following the same path many of his peers pursued: working for a major Silicon Valley company, where he’d be surrounded by cutting-edge technology.
But Jian’s perspective began to shift when he became a teaching assistant for a class on the human contexts and ethics of data. The course asked students to critically examine the ethical implications of data-driven decisions, particularly their impact on underserved communities. This experience sparked a new curiosity about how his skills could be used beyond the private sector.
Jian completed his undergraduate and master’s data science degrees and interviewed with large technology companies he had long dreamed of joining. Yet, he found himself reflecting on how he wanted his work to align with his personal values. So he pivoted. Today, he works as an energy analyst at the California Energy Commission (CEC).
“With emerging technologies like large language models and shifting priorities in the tech industry, I started thinking more about where I could make the most meaningful impact,” Jian explains. “I realized I wanted to work on projects I could really stand behind — something that felt personally rewarding.”
Federal, state and local governments have a growing need for data experts to work on artificial intelligence initiatives and other efforts to improve public health, address climate change and more. Jian offers one example of how Data Science Undergraduate Studies and School of Information’s Master of Information and Data Science program alumni are using their skills to make an impact through public service.
Jian learned about the commission’s job opportunity from connections he built during his master’s capstone project focused on energy load forecasting. He said the CEC, a regulatory body responsible for overseeing California’s energy policies, needed help modernizing their forecasting models and pushing their technology forward to support the state’s ambitious goals.
“There’s this notion that government isn’t exciting because it isn’t obsessed with being on the cutting edge, but actually, we just shift the focus from the technology itself to the lasting, societal impacts that can be made using the technology,” says Jian. “I’m using the skills I learned in my major to shape California’s energy future. And because agencies worldwide turn to the CEC for guidance on adopting our strategies, we’re driving change on a global scale.”
Jian believes there’s plenty of room for others with data science and programming skills to find career opportunities in the sector. He encourages other Berkeley students and alumni to consider government work.
“Our major equips us to not only adopt new technology strategies but also think critically about their ethical implications,” Jian said. “We can speak the language of policy experts while bringing our technical skills to the table — and that allows us to drive progress in ways that make you proud of the work you do.”
Originally published as “UC Berkeley Alum Uses Data Science To Shape California’s Energy Future” by the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society on October 22, 2024.
