The UBC Master of Data Science programs partner computer science and statistics experts, providing the foundation for a comprehensive approach, as these two disciplines are at the very core of the emerging field of Data Science. Through active and flexible learning techniques, students will be given the opportunity to put theory into practice and to work with real-world data.
Students learn from faculty working at the forefront of their fields. Internationally respected, these leading researchers collaborate with industries, governments and organizations to develop innovative solutions and make a tangible difference to our world. These thought leaders are passionate about their work, committed to student education and eager to share their knowledge.
“The continued growth of Data Science jobs across many different industries and the ability to impact business, community and societal decisions makes this a really exciting field of work to be in.”
Angela Pau is an advisor and educator with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals to reach their career goals. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University and has experience working in both the public and non-profit sector. At UBC she has developed career programming for both undergraduate and graduate students across a multitude of faculties and departments. She also has experience collaborating with campus partners to develop and implement career development strategies for international students and mentoring programs. Since joining MDS, Angela is excited to be making so many new connections to employers, MDS alumni and students who are passionate about Data Science.
Sonya Thomlinson, Career Advisor, MDS Okanagan and Computational Linguistics
“Data Science is a vast and exciting field with the potential to create enormous impact across all sectors and industries. I’m thrilled to be part of one of the highest rated Data Science Professional Programs in Canada."
Sonya Thomlinson has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years as a founder of multiple businesses as well as a US non-profit. Sonya has been building relationships and working with individuals to help them attain their career goals in the MDS program at UBC Okanagan and CL in Vancouver. Since joining UBC in 2022, Sonya has enjoyed the energy and excitement on campus and is passionate about helping students prepare for their future careers, discover their own areas of passion, and ensure that they have the tools to succeed to their fullest potential.
Ben Chen, Course Coordinator, MDS Vancouver
"Becoming an MDS is like getting a superhero cape for your career—only instead of saving the world, you’re saving data from chaos!"
Ben joined the MDS program in July 2024 as a course coordinator. Born in Taiwan and primarily raised in Shanghai, he completed his undergraduate studies in Hong Kong before earning his Master’s degree at the UBC MDS program. In his spare time, Ben enjoys staying active through swimming, running, and playing basketball. On more relaxed days, he indulges in his passion for anime while lounging in bed.
“I am excited to get to be a part of the MDS Okanagan program as the Professional Program Assistant and to support the students with their journey in this program.”
Jessica Collins received her Bachelor of Commerce from the UBC Vancouver Sauder School of Business and has since spent time working for the Province of BC and several small communities. She has worked on the UBC Okanagan campus since 2021 in various administrative roles supporting students and faculty members. Through these experiences, she has gained experience in working with diverse groups of people, providing support for them to reach their goals and navigating the post-secondary environment.
Vanessa Ho, Marketing Coordinator, MDS Program
"I am always amazed and blown away with all the students who pass through the MDS program. They all come from diverse backgrounds who learn from each other as they go through this intensive 10-month program on their path to a new career in data science."
Vanessa Ho obtained her Bachelor's of Journalism degree from the University of Regina and worked for four years as a technology journalist in Toronto. Vanessa moved back to Vancouver in 2008 and transitioned into a career as a digital content creator for a variety of technology companies in the Vancouver area. She started at the MDS program in 2018 as the marketing coordinator chronicling the MDS student journey. Outside of MDS, Vanessa is a pop culture enthusiast and enjoys biking and baking.
Hema Ratnasami, Senior Graduate Program Assistant, MDS Vancouver
“With the vast amount of data in the world, learning about the creative ways in which students use data to make meaningful insights is inspiring.”
Hema Ratnasami completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. After which she returned to the Lower Mainland to work in Human Resources at a local aerospace company. She has been an administrative staff member at UBC since 2020 starting with Financial Operations before moving onto the School of Biomedical Engineering. In all her roles, she has gained valuable experience using data to support operational needs. As the Senior Graduate Program Assistant for MDS, she hopes to support students as they make their way through the program.
Zac Warham, Course Coordinator, MDS Vancouver
"I love how data science skills are used to show the breadth of knowledge in all fields, particularly for marine biology in my case. The more visuals the better!"
Zac move to Canada from Australia in August of 2021 and joined the MDS team in January 2022 as a TA whilst studying his Masters of Science in Oceans and Fisheries at UBC. Prior to his time at UBC, Zac worked as an IT Support Assistant and an Aquarium Aquarist whilst he studied a combination of Marine Biology & Web Development. Zac looks forward to being a part of the learning journey for the next generation of data scientists.
Muhammad Abdul-Mageed, Assistant Professor, MDS Computational Linguistics (On Leave)
"Deep learning is revolutionary. Some of the most exciting progress in deep learning is happening with language. It is in your car, your browser, and your pocket. Deep learning of language is in its infancy, with fascinating progress ahead.”
Muhammad Abdul-Mageed is an Assistant Professor of Computational Linguistics, Information Science, and Computer Science and Director of the Natural Language Processing Lab at the UBC. He is a core member of UBC Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems and Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action. His research focuses on developing novel deep learning methods for natural language socio-pragmatics, with a goal to build `social’ machines to enhance human health and well-being.
Jeff Andrews, Principal Co-Director and Associate Professor, MDS Okanagan (On Leave)
“The MDS program has been a shining example of inter-disciplinary and inter-campus collaboration, culminating in a professional degree that employers, alumni, instructors, and current students all value. I am proud to be a part of it."
Jeff Andrews is an associate professor of statistics and leads the Statistical Machine Learning Laboratory at UBC’s Okanagan Campus. His research primarily focuses on unsupervised machine learning with mixture models, including model development, implementation, and optimization. He has been a recipient of two international awards for his research in this field: the 2017 Chikio Hayashi Award for Young Researchers from the International Federation of Classification Societies, and the 2013 Distinguished Dissertation Award from the Classification Society. He has attracted more than $200k in research funding as a primary investigator since joining UBC in 2015, and more than triple that as co-investigator on several collaborative and interdisciplinary projects—such as the Medical Physics and Data Analytics Cluster. Beyond his academic research, he has consulting experience from a diverse range of industries --- including sport management, food product evaluation, workplace safety, biomedical instruments, heavy machinery, and the financial sector.