Graduate - PhD

DS Graduate Students
CONTACT
Location: Unity Hall
Office Location: 3rd Floor, Room 366
Phone: 508-831-6220

Data Science Ph.D. Student Highlights

Becks Lopez

Becks Lopez

Current Student Achievements

PhD Student, Becks Lopez, selected as a 2024 Clare Booth Luce Graduate Fellow!

WPI is proud to recognize our current Clare Boothe Luce Graduate Fellow – Rebecca Lopez (PhD candidate, Data Science). The Henry Luce Foundation Inc, through the Clare Boothe Luce Program, has been a longtime supporter of WPI. The program aims to transform STEM ecosystems across the United States by addressing the structural and cultural barriers that inhibit women’s pursuit of and persistence in STEM fields, expanding educational opportunities for women in STEM, and advancing their leadership in the sciences. 

DS PhD Susmitha Wunnava
PhD Alumni: Where are they now?

PhD Graduate Delivers Commencement Speech to Class of 2021

Dr. Susmitha Wunnava, a Data Science PhD Graduate, gave the 2021 Commencement Speech to PhD and Master’s Students for the School of Arts & Sciences and Foisie Business School.

Currently, Dr. Wunnava is working as a machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) scientist. She recently joined the CRS Regulatory Science Fellowship Program to continue my research at the intersection of AI and healthcare while collaborating with and learning from world-class researchers and medical experts.

Narges Ahani

I received my Master's degree in Operation Analytics and Management from Foisie School of Business at WPI in January 2019. I am now a Ph.D. student in Data Science at WPI. My Master Project was about designing and implementing a decision-making tool for refugee resettlement in the U.S. I developed a web application named Annie(TM) which integrates integer optimization and machine learning techniques into an interactive interface. I am interested in Mathematical Optimization, Machine Learning, and Visualization.

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Abdulaziz Alajaji

I’m excited about designing data-driven applications to solve real-world problems. I am interested in working on using predictive analytics with big data in cybersecurity and social networks. My research interests are: data-mining, social network analysis, cybersecurity and machine learning. I do research with my advisor Dr. Elke A. Rundensteiner. Awards: King Saud University, 2nd Honor Degree (2010) King Saud University, Best graduation project in cyber security (2010)

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I started my graduate studies at WPI in 2016. Since then, I have been doing multi-disciplinary research at the boundary of computational science, data science, (bio)materials, and (bio)mechanics in Bioinspired Material Design Lab and Tissue Mechanics & Mechanobiology Lab at WPI. My recent work is focused on solving complex problems in biomedical engineering using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

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Luke Buquicchio

I am a current PhD student working on the DARPA WASH project under Elke Rundensteiner and Emmanuel Agu. My research is mainly focused on developing/testing original deep learning techniques and applying them to large datasets. My research interests include: statistics, deep learning, unsupervised and semi-supervised learning, and software development. 

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Kavin Chandrasekaran

I started my career using data analysis and visualization for solving security concerns, performance enhancements and infrastructure management. I joined the PhD in Data Science program in 2016. My research interests are in sensor driven complex human activity recognition and generative models to be used in patient monitoring, ailment predictions and overall healthcare improvement.

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Fatemeh Farajzadeh

My master thesis developed novel mathematical programming methods to optimize the delivery operations of humanitarian drones in the aftermath of a disaster to serve affected areas. My research interests are in using advanced analytical techniques (operations research and data science) to handle operational challenges in humanitarian operations and health care systems. I am currently researching challenges that exist in managing migration crises through the fair and humane allocation of necessary resources.

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Tabassum Kakar

 I am a PhD candidate in data science program at WPI. I completed my MS at WPI as a Fulbright scholar. After my BS, I have worked for three years in telecommunication industry as a BI developer and database administrator.  My research interests include using machine learning techniques on big data and design visual analytical systems to help domain experts analyze their data effectively.

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Thanh Tran

I received my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Hanoi University of Science and Technology in July 2011. After that, I spent 3 years working in the industry, mostly in researching and developing backend systems and building server services for client requests. Now I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Data Science at WPI. Currently, my research interests include data science and mining for big data, and recommender systems.

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Marcela Vasconcellos

Marcela obtained the University Laureate (highest-ranked in class) while pursuing her B.S. She was awarded a Science without Borders scholarship to study for 18 months at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne, France, where she did an internship at Saint-Gobain. She implemented a route optimization tool for its 12 glass factories in Europe based on the VRPTW, including real legislation restrictions on labor for drivers from each country. She was then approved in the national DHL Trainee program (13k+ candidates) and worked in warehousing operations, continuous improvement, and project ...

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Susmitha Wunnava

I am Ph.D. Candidate in the Data Science program. My research interests are in Data-mining, Text-mining, Machine Learning, and Social Network Analysis. I am currently working on text mining and information extraction from post-marketing drug surveillance report narratives. I attend the Database Systems Research Group (DSRG) and my advisor is Dr. Elke A. Rundensteiner. I am also a member of the "Seeds of STEM: The Development of an Innovative Early Childhood STEM Curriculum" research project funded by the US Department of Education (Institute of Education Sciences).

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Isaac Zhao

I find great satisfaction mining through mounds of data to uncover gems of knowledge that have the potential to save lives. I’ve worn many hats to provide support for oncology and mental health disorders in the pharmaceutical space. In drug discovery, I’ve analyzed genomic data to design more efficacious drug targets. In translational medicine, I’ve identified clinical biomarkers for predicting treatment response. As a statistician, I’ve provided planning and analysis for clinical trials. During my free time, I enjoy doing calisthenics - a specific bodyweight workout class similar to ...

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