Driving Meaningful Change Through Interdisciplinary Data Science

Please share a short biography

I am a Research Scientist in VTT’s Quantitative Science and Technology Studies unit and a doctoral candidate at Lappeenranta University of Technology’s School of Business. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics, a Master’s in Social Policy and Quantitative Social Research, and I am soon to defend a Doctorate of Science in Economics and Business Administration. I began my career in economic consulting, spent some time at a startup working on RegTech and FinTech for sustainability, and now work on AI-enabled solutions to challenges in the fields of sustainability and science, technology, and innovation.

Please provide a short overview of your job and its relation to STEM. What is your current job? What is the field about?

I am a specialist in the design, development, and application of novel quantitative methods and human-AI workflows. My work focuses on orchestrating and implementing hybrid evaluation approaches that integrate human-in-the-loop practices with automation. Much of this involves the development of new ways to identify and quantitatively measure complex phenomena like sustainable development and innovation.

Who or what inspired you to follow this career path / start this job?

I have an interdisciplinary background combining quantitative and data science, social policy, econometrics, and sustainability. I’m interested and curious about many topics! At VTT, I am able to engage in research that takes a solutions-based approach to complex, policy relevant topics with socio-environmental orientation. I get to constantly learn and apply my knowledge in new ways and on topics that I find meaningful and important.

What does your typical working day look like?

Every day is unique in research. My days are a mix of designing proposals for new projects to address complex challenges and push technical frontiers; programming pipelines to collect, ingest, process, and analyze data; and translating outputs for communication to a wide variety of audiences.

Please give an overview of your study path and how you got into this career. If you could start all over again, how you would change the career path? Has there been an educational experience (formal/informal/traineeship/...) that helped you? Did your colleagues follow similar study and career paths?

My career path has been a winding but exciting road. With a Bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics, I began working at an economic consulting firm in New York to work on interesting and consequential applied econometrics and data science. After a few years, I realized that the topics I wanted to work on lay in the realms of social wellbeing, sustainability, and policy. This took me to London, where I studied social policy and advanced quantitative research methods. I focused my thesis on energy poverty and its importance in the climate crisis. From there, I joined a young startup building software to help firms tackle their sustainability related regulatory reporting. Finally, I came to VTT in Finland, where I get to engage in impactful research projects while completing a doctoral degree. My dissertation has developed methods and evaluations for AI-augmented decision support processes. Although my path hasn’t been linear, every step in my journey has led to the next. Following my interests has provided me a valuable, interdisciplinary perspective and unique experience.

What are the professional & personal key skills needed to do your job?

• Critical thinking

• Data analysis

• Problem-solving

• Collaboration

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Information literacy

• Adaptability

• Curiosity

• Initiative

What types of jobs & industry sectors can you work in, with your skills?

I have worked in a non-profit, in consulting, on Software-as-a-Service, and in research. My background is nicely suited to jobs requiring data science, data analytics, AI-enabled systems, policy analysis, and project management.

What are the main challenges in your job?

The main challenge of my job is the fact that each project and each problem is unique. My field is constantly and rapidly evolving, and I need to stay current in order to create efficient and useful solutions. The good thing is that this challenge is also what makes my job exciting and rewarding!

What is your advice to students?

My advice is to students is to follow your interests, feed your curiosity, and keep yourself open to unexpected opportunities.

How can teachers and parents support their students / children?

Teachers and parents can support their students and children by encouraging them to explore a variety of paths and engage in topics they’re passionate about.