Kayla Wopschall

Kayla Wopschall is an interdisciplinary Data Scientist that bridges an extensive background across the sciences and the arts. She holds a Ph.D. in Archaeology and an MA in Anthropology from the University of Washington, where her research on extinct island pygmy hippos lifted big data and predictive modeling methods to extrapolate population dynamics. When combined with her background in Studio Art and work as a visual artist, Kayla crafts elegant data visualizations that transform complex information into demonstrated business insights. As also Founder and Chair of the Board of the Central Oregon Children’s Museum, this passion to elevate art in the sciences extends to families of all types through unique immersive learning experiences. 

She currently works as a Data Scientist for a local consulting company in the Pacific Northwest, working with clients to battle technological debt, set up scalable predictive platforms, and create efficient data systems (from architecture to end user interfaces). She is most passionate about science communication, and working with groups to both understand what data is really saying, and to teach individuals and businesses to ask the right questions. 

Understanding bias and limiations in interpretations, as well as experimental design, are constants with her work.