Women in Statistics + Data Science

Ashley Arroyo earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she studied from 2018 to 2022. During that time, Ashley spent time interning at State Farm through the MAGNET program. After graduating, she worked in Chicago as an Analytics Associate at KPMG for two years before joining Purdue’s Data Mine as a Data Science Technical Specialist. At Purdue, Ashley mentored student teams and helped guide their data science projects. Ashley is now a Data Scientist at Subaru of Indiana Automotive in Lafayette Indiana.

Ashley is excited to connect with current students and other women in the field! It wasn’t long ago that she was in their shoes, figuring out what a career in data science and statistics could look like. Ashley looks forward to sharing her experiences, hearing about their interests, and hopefully helping them feel more confident about the possibilities ahead.

Kahyun Choi is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Indiana University Bloomington and a software engineer at Naver in South Korea. She received her PhD from UIUC.

Jenny Kim is a Senior Data Scientist on the Global Forecasting Team within Finance at AGCO, a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural equipment and precision agriculture technology. In her role, Jenny uses data science, analytics, and forecasting to support business decision-making. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in Biology and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her career path from scientific research to data science reflects her passion for using data to understand complex problems and turn insights into meaningful business impact.

Pamela Martinez earned her PhD in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Chicago and completed postdoctoral training at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is now an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in Microbiology and Statistics. At the intersection of these fields, she uses mathematical and statistical approaches to address biological questions of public health relevance. Her group is particularly interested in examining how pathogen diversity, host heterogeneity, and environmental factors influence the transmission and control of human infectious diseases.

Betsy Podkowa is a Lead Data Scientist at State Farm. Her career started over 10 years ago as a Modeling and Analytics Graduate Network (MAGNet) intern while earning her Masters in Statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC). Much of Betsy's State Farm work centered around Natural Language Processing (NLP), leveraging Python and various vendor tools to complete research, build Data Science solutions, and provide guidance on NLP best practices. She now leads the UIUC branch of State Farm's MAGNet program, mentoring the next generation of Data Scientists.

Rachel Cheung is a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Information Sciences + Data Science with a minor in Statistics. She serves as a Course Assistant for STAT 207, where she helps students strengthen their understanding of statistical concepts and data analysis. Rachel also contributes to research exploring human-computer interaction in healthcare settings, with a focus on how emerging technologies can support patients. Her interests span machine learning, data analytics, and the practical applications of data science, and she enjoys discovering the many ways these fields can make a meaningful impact.

Sarah Wheeler is a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Information Sciences + Data Science. On campus, she serves as a Course Assistant for STAT 207 and conducts research in human-AI interaction, examining how people engage with and build trust in AI systems. Her academic interests center on the relationship between people and technology, particularly how AI can be designed to better serve its users. She is passionate about fostering community and spaces where women can connect, share experiences, and support one another in navigating careers in statistics and data science.