Divya Gorantla
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in India and moved to USA to pursue master's degree in computer science. I worked as a software developer for seven and half years before transitioning to a career in data science. I started working as a data scientist after one semester in MIDS program. I enjoy solving challenging tasks and coming up with creative solutions.
At what school and in what concentration did you receive your undergraduate degree?
I received my undergraduate degree in electronics and communication engineering from JNTU, India.
Why did you choose the UC Berkeley School of Information?
With the constraint of not being able to relocate, the online data science degree through UC Berkeley School of Information was the perfect choice. I was impressed by the courses and curriculum of MIDS program.
What is the I School's advantage?
The biggest advantage is the diversity of peers, that provides a unique opportunity to learn from each other. With the teaching faculty having years of experience in industry they provide a great understanding of data science applications in real world situations.
What has been your favorite class at the I School and why?
I really enjoyed natural language processing with deep learning and machine learning at scale. I understood the mechanisms behind neural networks and their functionality during these courses. Home works were well designed and organized to enable critical thinking in students.
What are your future plans?
With my background as a software developer, I would like to apply the data science skills to product development. I would like to start contributing to open source projects and give back to the developer community.
Do you have any advice for aspiring information professionals/data scientists?
A comprehensive understanding of statistics and mathematical concepts that drive the machine learning models will help to become a good data scientist.