School of Data Science Student Spotlight: Naomi Nikita Thammadi

The School of Data Science at UNC Charlotte takes pride in regularly highlighting its students, especially as commencement is quickly approaching for graduate student Naomi Nikita Thammadi.

Naomi, who earned her undergraduate degree in computer science from JNTU Hyderabad in India, will receive a master’s degree in Data Science and Business Analytics in just a couple short weeks. Having worked in the software industry for over six years, earning this additional degree will open even more opportunities for her career development. “The DSBA degree will help me transition from a technology consultant to a data scientist, a career upgrade that I am eagerly waiting for. It honed my software development skills and improved my knowledge in statistics and machine learning,” said Naomi. The courses Advanced Machine Learning and Bayesian Statistics were a couple of her favorites at UNC Charlotte.

Naomi was extremely drawn to the program’s unique combination of data science and business analytics concepts, and believes “the School of Data Science has one of the best data science programs in all of the Carolinas.” While in the program, Naomi enjoyed how the course curriculums covered all the basic skills needed to start a career in data science, as well as the wide range of electives to hone in on niche skills. She also had the opportunity to research public reactions to infectious diseases while interning under Dr. Yaorong Ge and Dr. Shi Chen.

Her career path will begin in June as a summer intern with Moody’s Analytics, a financial services company that provides economic research regarding risk, performance and financial modeling, as well as consulting, training and software services. Naomi envisions herself working full time at a company that provides growth opportunities, or as the owner of her own business. She also plans to one day earn her PhD after completing a few years in her industry.

Outside of academics, Naomi has acted as the Vice President of the Student Council for the School of Data Science. She helped organize many events such as networking coffee hours, the school’s first homecoming tailgate, a family picnic day, and alumni gatherings. Naomi also loves to hike at Freedom Park, cook, and train her two rescue dogs.

We wish Naomi all the best in her future endeavors!