Christopher Walker

MIDS 2016
CTO, Illuminate Education

Education

B.Sc., Mathematics, California State University, San Bernardino

An information challenge that intrigues me

I have worked in K–12 education for my entire career, and I believe that education needs data science leaders. Educators are increasingly aware of how they can use data to improve learning outcomes. It’s up to us as data scientists to provide them with higher-quality data for making better decisions. I see it as an opportunity to not just improve test scores, but to change the world for the better.

Why I chose the I School

There are plenty of online resources available for aspiring data scientists, but they miss many important concepts. MIDS courses like those on ethics and applications of data science help to encourage a more balanced approach. The best data scientists are not simply technicians: they are data storytellers who build tools for responsible decision-making. The MIDS curriculum promotes all of the skills they will need, not just the sexy technology.

My favorite class at the I School

I particularly loved Machine Learning at Scale. The course material fit well with my love for math and programming, and our instructors came from impressive industry backgrounds. I came away with a passion for the subject matter, and a much deeper understanding of how machine learning is done in the wild.

The best things about the I School

My fellow classmates came from remarkably diverse backgrounds. We constantly learned from one another. We didn't just benefit from the MIDS classroom experience, we also benefited from sharing our backgrounds, stories, and skills with one another.