Jay is a second-year master’s student in the Michigan Program in Survey and Data Science (MPSDS). We had the opportunity to interview him about his journey to MPSDS. Jay shared what lead him to Michigan, his experience in MPSDS, and a few words of wisdom to prospective students.

Jay earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. His degree program equipped him with the quantitative background to understand sampling theory and machine learning algorithms used during MPSDS at a deeper level. At the same time, this experience revealed gaps in his knowledge specifically with regards to sourcing meaningful original data representative of the target population. This realization motivated him to seek exposure to survey research.

After gaining some experience with survey data as an Associate Researcher at Dongguk University SHPRC, Jay explored graduate programs in statistics and survey research to broaden his knowledge in surveys. After weighing his options, MPSDS resulted in being the best fit. Michigan provided him with a clear roadmap of expectations which included working with a PI as an RA on topics in survey methodology, career support, and a curriculum built around survey methodology.

During his time at MPSDS, Jay has accomplished a variety of impressive achievements. As an Research Assistant, Jay has led programming of the SMART study web survey and contributed to software development of specialized statistical analysis tools for respondent driven surveys. Jay spoke about his D3 internship where he was given the opportunity to pursue self-driven projects that would have been difficult to pursue with the resources available in academia. During his internship, Jay implemented an R shiny application that streamlined the process of summarizing field interviewer click log data for analysts who weren’t necessarily well-versed in statistical methodology.

In the future Jay will pursue a PhD in either Statistics, Informatics, or Survey Methodology. His ultimate goal is to become an independent researcher equipped with the skills to lead survey operations.

When asked to give words of advice to prospective students interested in MPSDS Jay stated:

“Be sure that you like surveys, as you will be learning about them inside out. Do not view classes as obstacles and a means to an end. Your journey is what matters not the certificate you get at the end of the program. So, be involved in class projects and remember you are here to learn.”

Although his ultimate advice is as follows:

“Get good boots, a well-insulated coat, something to protect your face, and a couple of friends as the winters can test your resolve.”

By, Valeria Castañeda Saucedo, MPSDS Master’s Student