DSCI Alumni Spotlights
Engineers develop the cutting edge technology of tomorrow. Explore the ways we give students the opportunity for hands-on experience. We graduate engineers that will be dynamic in the workforce.
Jack Weyer
Applied Data Science
Current Employer: Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)
Current Title: Basketball Quantitative Strategist
“USC's outstanding Data Science program prepared me in ways that go beyond the course material. The coursework not only honed my critical thinking skills, it also taught me firsthand that communication, collaboration, and hard work are critical in achieving success. These skills have been just as important to my career as the Machine Learning, SQL, and Statistics material... which is also first-class.”
Aaryan Shah
Applied Data Science
Current Employer: LinkedIn
Current Title: Software Engineer, ML
“USC's MS in Applied Data Science program gave me far more than technical skills - it gave me the confidence to build real systems that matter. The program consistently pushed me to think at the intersection of research and application, and the hands-on exposure to cutting-edge AI and data engineering tools was instrumental in preparing me for a career in the Bay Area tech industry. The faculty and project-based learning environment shaped the engineer I am today, and I'm grateful for everything USC prepared me for.”
Rhone Cho
Communication Data Science
Current Employer: FastMoss
Current Title: Senior Marketing Manager
"The USC Data Science program gave me something truly invaluable, which is the ability to think both creatively and analytically. The dual-school structure uniquely positioned me to draw from a wealth of academic resources and support systems while pushing me to develop a data-driven mindset that is essential in today's AI-forward landscape. That foundation has been instrumental in shaping my career, and I carry it with me every day in my work."
Abhinav Ramesh
Healthcare Data Science
Current Employer: HPE Aruba Networking
Current Title: Senior Data Scientist
"When I started the USC Data Science program, I knew I wanted to build things that mattered - I just didn't yet know if I could.
DSCI 552 with Prof. Rajati was one of the first places that changed that. The course pushed you to actually understand ML, not just use it. That rigor gave me a confidence I hadn't had before - I stopped treating the field as a black box and started trusting my own thinking.
That confidence grew through my research at the Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute under Prof. Jahanshad. She handed me real problems from day one - the kind with no answer key. Seeing that work through to publications taught me something more valuable than any grade: that I could figure hard things out.
That shift - from student to researcher to someone who trusted their own instincts is what I carried into my career. At HPE, I took on risks I don't think I would have taken before USC. When the chance came to build an agentic AI platform from scratch, I said yes even when the path wasn't fully clear. That bet paid off, the platform now serves over 10 million devices and was featured as a flagship release at HPE Discover Las Vegas, changing the trajectory of my overall team and its role in the new era for self-driving networks.
None of it would have been possible without what USC gave me - the technical foundation, the research experience, and most importantly, the confidence to bet on myself."
Pratishtha Singh
Applied Data Science
Current Employer: Amazon
Current Title: Software Development Engineer
"USC played a huge role in shaping both my career and personal growth. During my Master’s in Applied Data Science, I was able to build skills that opened doors to opportunities in both machine learning and software engineering. I’ve now been working at Amazon for almost five years as a Software Development Engineer.
While the coursework helped me build a strong technical foundation early in my career, the biggest impact USC had on me came through its network and community. Even today, I regularly come across fellow Trojans at work, and those connections have genuinely helped me grow both professionally and personally. The USC network I built during my master’s program also played a part in helping me land opportunities within Amazon.
Beyond academics and career growth, USC left a lasting impact on who I am as a person. There’s something special about being a Trojan that stays with you long after graduation."
