Data Science Fall 2023 Capstone Project Showcase

Judges

Chris Bennett

MIDS 2017

Chris Bennett s the chief data and analytics officer (CDAO) for the financial advisor services division at Vanguard, one of the world’s largest and most respected investment management companies, leading key data, analytics, and AI/ML initiatives that enable Vanguard’s mission to drive client success by being the “Advisor to the Advisors.” Before joining Vanguard in 2020, Chris led data and analytics for Intelisent, a marketing AI/ML firm he co-founded that focuses on customer acquisition in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Intelisent, Chris held the role of CTO for Data-Mail, where he was responsible for data processing technology and operations for approximately 1.5 billion personalized communications per annum for many of the US’s largest financial services and retail companies. Chris also held numerous roles at Acxiom, a global leader in audience and identity data, data enrichment services, and data management. Chris is originally from Arkansas where he earned his B.S. from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock, and his master’s degree in Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley in 2017. Chris was a winner of the Hal R. Varian Capstone Project award while studying at UC Berkeley.

Andi Morey Peterson

MIDS 2022

Andi Morey Peterson is the director of data science and process controls systems for Micron Technology’s tech development department.  She is responsible for the oversight, strategy, and execution of data science projects which include developing machine learning algorithms and leading-edge process control solutions, providing insights to yield improvement, employing unique cost reductions, and developing generative AI solutions.  She comes with over 15 years of semiconductor manufacturing experience along with a B.S. in electrical engineering, a masters in business administration, and a masters in information and data science from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Idaho with her three children, her husband, and a lazy goldendoodle where they enjoy the outdoors including snowboarding and hiking.

Zachary “Sam” Zaiss

MIDS 2015

Zachary “Sam” Zaiss is a seasoned data science leader with a unique background in psychology and user experience, reflecting a deep commitment to understanding and enhancing the human element in data-driven solutions. His passion is building multi-disciplinary insights partnerships across data science, UX and market research to drive stronger organizational decision-making. Since graduating from the UC Berkeley MIDS program in 2015, Sam has built and led successful data science and research teams at Microsoft and Google. He currently leads the data science and analytics practice at Textio, a company that builds AI models for talent acquisition and performance management leaders to help their companies hire and retain a diverse workforce.