July 10 Jump-Start to Data Science Lunch and Learn with Tommy Jones
Tommy Jones was the speaker for the Jump-Start to Data Science Lunch and Learn on July 10. He is a W&M alum who works at in-Q-Tel and is also Vice President of Data Community DC. He views Data Science, Machine Learning, Technology, as interchangeable with Statistics as he approaches it in a math perspective. During the Lunch and Learn, when he was asked about any trends that he sees involving Data Science as he has been in the field, he responded that computer science and statistics have increasingly become some of the most important job skills to have. It’s an upward trend as people are getting more reliant on the use of technology. Having knowledge on machine learning, technology, et cetera would be useful skills to have, regardless of what career you may plan to go into, even if it may not be extremely reliant on technology. In addition, while focusing on developing these skills in data science, Tommy Jones suggested that you should think in concrete tangible ideas. You should think of things such as how to create items that would help people and better society rather than “cool” things like creating a super artificial super brain that can take over the planet (if technology really can get that far).