The mission of the Statistics@Work speaker series is to expose students of all levels to how statistics is used in practice across a large swath of data science fields. The MSSP program invites speakers from industry to present on the data-centric challenges that accompany a career in their sector, and the manner in which statistical training can help meet those challenges. Opportunity for informal “meet-and-greet” follows each presentation, where students and speakers chat over refreshments.

  • Carlos Morales, Director, Global Portfolio Strategy, Liberty Mutual
  • Alok Pattani, Quantitative Analyst, Google
  • Marc L. Berger, Vice President, Real World Data and Analytics in the Global Health & Value Group, Pfizer Inc.
  • Jason Xin, Principal Data Scientist, Optum Enterprise Analytics
  • Clementine Plati, Data Scientist, TripAdvisor
  • Xiaoyu Jiang, Director, Sanofi
  • David Liu, Director of Data Science, CVS Health
  • Tom Foth, Senior Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)
  • Kate Donahue, Senior Data Scientist, Booz Allen Hamilton

Spring 2024 Schedule

February 7th:

  • Speaker: Jieyu Fan
    • Date & Room: 5:30pm at CDS, B64
    • Title: Head of Advanced Analytics, US Segment @ John Hancock
    • Abstract: Join Jieyu to learn more about her career and role as Head of Advanced Analytics, US Segment at John Hancock, and the interesting work she and her team of Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers have engaged in.

March 20th:

  • Speaker: Anahita Bahri
    • Date & Room: CDS B64, March 20th, 6PM
    • Title: Music Data & Insights Manager @ Netflix
    • Abstract: Meet Anahita, a Berklee College of Music alum, turned data storyteller by way of BU’s MSSP program. With a stellar career at Netflix & Spotify, Anahita brings a unique blend of artistic & analytical prowess. Come by to hear Anahita share her journey around the intersection of music, statistics, and storytelling. Do not miss this engaging talk where she will also share insights on AI ethics, information design, standing out in the job market, and the art of communication.

April 3rd:

  • Speaker: Guido Consonni
    • Date & Room: TBD
    • Title: Head of Statistical Science Department @ Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
    • Location: Milan, Italy
    • Abstract: In this presentation, I will delve into the primary facets of my journey as an academic statistician, encompassing research, teaching, education and consulting ventures. I’ll spotlight key research areas that have been central to my work, including Bayesian Statistics, graphical models, replication studies, and causal inference, underlining their significance and relevance for students. Additionally, I’ll explore two academic initiatives I spearheaded at my university in the past decade, and conclude by discussing my consulting involvement in a legal context.