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.
Meet Some of Our Faculty and Staff
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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.
"The applications of data science have grown tremendously, and businesses are always looking for new and improved ways of interpreting and leveraging data. The MDS program empowers students to become successful professionals in a high-demand field."
Betty Zhao graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business with a combined major in business and computer science. She was born in Johannesburg but grew up in Shanghai. She has also lived in Gaborone for six years before coming to Vancouver. Since January 2022, she is honored to work as the course coordinator for the MDS program, and is passionate about helping students find successes in not only academics and careers, but also in their lives. Betty hopes to leverage her unique background in both business and technology to create a fun, safe, and healthy learning environment.
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.
W. John Braun, Professor, MDS Okanagan (On Leave)
"Over the years, I have found no truer statement than that of John Tukey which I paraphrase here: 'The best thing about being a data scientist is that you get to play in everyone's backyard.'"
W. John Braun got his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Western Ontario in 1992. Since then, he has held positions at a number of universities, including Western for 14 years where he attained the rank of Full Professor and was Chair of the Statistics Graduate Program for 5 years. In 2014, he took the opportunity to become Head of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics at UBC's Okanagan campus.
He was Deputy Director of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute and is now Director of the UBCO site for the Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery. Braun's research in statistics is motivated by scientific problems, coming from psychology, biology, medicine, engineering and physics. His methodological contributions are concerned with computational issues around uncertainty quantification and smoothing techniques. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and two books in the area of computational statistics.
