Featured image of post D̶r̶. Hopper or: How I Quit My Ph.D. and Learned to Love Data Science

D̶r̶. Hopper or: How I Quit My Ph.D. and Learned to Love Data Science

Data Dialogue presentation at Duke University about transitioning from academia to data science.

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Here’s my favorite section from the talk:

Slide 1

Slide 2

Slide 3

Slide 4

I conclude by listing things I learned in school but don’t use every day:

  • Linear Algebra
  • Probability
  • Statistics
  • Machine Learning
  • Math Modeling
  • Data Structures
  • Algorithms
  • Distributed Systems

And things I wasn’t taught in school but use daily:

  • Communication
  • Careful Thought
  • Prose Writing Skill
  • Software Writing Skill
  • Software Engineering
  • Tenacity
  • Stack Overflow
Last updated on Sep 17, 2025 10:35 -0400
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