Last week, I had the privilege of attending Dr. Kendra C. Taylor's inspiring webinar, "Find Your Superpower: Unleash the Power of Analytics," hosted by INFORMS. Her focus on using analytics to combat human trafficking really struck a chord with me, especially after my 13 years of work experience in data science. It reminded me that data can do so much more than just provide insights—it can truly change lives.
I was particularly moved by her discussion of the INFORMS Pro Bono Analytics initiative, which connects analytics experts like myself with nonprofits to deliver impactful, data-driven solutions. It’s exciting to think about how the same techniques we're studying in my MS in Business Analytics program at UC Davis can address critical social issues.
Dr. Taylor also introduced valuable resources, such as the INFORMS Editor’s Cut for keeping up with operations research trends and TechSoup for accessing discounted tech tools for nonprofits. Her insights reaffirmed my desire to direct my skills toward causes I care about, and I’m eager to use my extensive experience to leverage analytics for social good moving forward.