Jordan was a Fellow in our Spring 2017 cohort who landed a job with one of our hiring partners, IronNet Cybersecurity.
Tell us about your background. How did it set you up to be a great Data Scientist?
My background is in particle physics. As a physicist, I analyzed large datasets of particle collision images, and I used machine learning tools to classify rare and interesting collisions.
What do you think you got out of The Data Incubator?
What advice would you give to someone who is applying for The Data Incubator, particularly someone with your background?
The Data Incubator is not just about writing code and doing statistical analysis. It’s also an opportunity to narrow your focus and zero in on a particular industry that you find interesting. To those applying, I recommend taking some time to think about why you are interested in data science, and where you want to end up down the road.
What is your favorite thing you learned at The Data Incubator?
I learned that the skills we develop in scientific Ph.D. programs are incredibly marketable and useful to a very eclectic mix of companies.
Could you tell us about your Data Incubator Capstone project?
For my capstone project, I worked with a small tech startup that develops wearable devices (like Fitbits) for people with Parkinson’s Disease. The goal of my project was to analyze time series data from these devices and build a model that could be used to diagnose Parkinson’s Disease.
How did you come up with the idea for the project?
I was lucky to have been selected for a company-sponsored project. This means I didn’t need to go through the trouble of coming up with my own amazing topic and finding a good dataset.
What technologies did you use and what skills did you learn at TDI that you applied to the project?
I applied a lot of time series analysis tools that I had never used in particle physics.
What was your most surprising or interesting finding?
I found that Parkinson’s patients can be identified by looking for high-frequency acceleration modes in peoples’ arms and legs.
Describe the business application for this project (how could a company use your work or your data)
The startup that I worked with is using the tools I developed to get funding from their investors. Eventually, my project will serve as a base for their IP.
And lastly, tell us about your new job!
Learn more about our offerings:
- Find out which program is best for you – will it be our Data Science Fellowship, our Data Analytics Program or our Data Science Essentials Course?
- Hiring Data Scientists
- Corporate data science training
