Meet & Greet in Denver: October 2017

Gathered in downtown Denver, Colorado at Prospect’s, Urban Kitchen & Bar, a group of energized and ambitious professionals met face to face for the first time.

“I want to use data science to improve health care in Guatemala,” said one UC Berkeley online Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) student. While another shared an interest in organizing and using an organization’s data to expand access to rugby and inclusivity of youth in the game.

While it wasn’t the first time these students were meeting, they only knew each other through live, online classes that took place every week via webcam. This past October, online MIDS students gathered for a meet and greet — an opportunity to make connections offline, seek advice on balancing educational and personal priorities and share expertise in the field of data science. The cross-industry appeal of the MIDS program was apparent in the diverse student body that came together, representing industries as varied as healthcare, athletics and financial services.

Designed to promote perspective through peer-to-peer learnings that transcend boundaries, the online MIDS program fosters strong leadership development in data science while providing a holistic approach to teaching so students can derive insights effectively to solve real-world challenges.

A common topic of conversation among students and alumni was how the program challenges each individual to think differently in problem-solving situations. It’s not just about the data. It’s about asking the right questions and understanding the complexity and true value data has the capacity to represent. The I School ensures that graduates of the MIDS program are equipped with the skills to not only inform strategic decisions in their organizations but to also understand the potential impact their work may have on a human level.

Though this program is delivered remotely, the human-factor is an instrumental element for the success of our online MIDS students, and the unique access to this program allows individuals to truly build a network of like-minded, data-focused professionals. The I School has previously hosted Meet & Greet events in Hong Kong, Houston, New York, Orlando, and Washington D.C.

Check out our events schedule to stay connected.

Learn more about datascience@berkeley.