Staff
Instructors
Joey Gonzalez
he/him
Joey is the director of the RISE and Sky Labs, member of the Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) group, and co-founder of Turi and Aqueduct. He developed and teaches Data100 and this is his first time teaching Data8. If you see him outside of campus, he is almost always playing with his kids.
Swupnil Sahai
he/him
Swupnil is a 2013 Cal grad, CEO of SwingVision, and 7th-time lecturer of Data 8 🤓 Previously, he led object tracking at Tesla A.I. ⚡ If he’s not at Wheeler, you can catch him traveling, hiking or playing tennis 🎾
Lead GSIs
All office hours are held in-person in Warren 101 unless otherwise specified
Ciara Acosta
she/her
Beyond excited to work with data scholars again! I hope you love it as much as I’ve loved every semester with scholars 💌
Kelsey Ley
she/her
Hi! I’m a junior from the bay who loves baking, tetris, and taking sub-par pictures of food.
Nicole Park
she/her
Hi! I’m a fourth year studying data science and economics. I love live music, in-theater movies, new games, delicious food, beautiful scenery, and data 8.
Noah Tran
he/him
Hi everyone, I’m Noah! I’m a big fan of figure skating, tennis, and Data 8.
Oscar
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Senior studying CS and Data 8. Check out this cool video. Plays tennis and enjoys updating software.
Padma Venkatraman
she/her
Hello! I’m a fourth year studying Astrophysics and Data Science. I love reading and coffee. Data 8 is an amazing course and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Feel free to reach out to me about anything at all.
Rebecca Hu
she/her
Sad senior with a candy crush and cranberry juice addiction.
Sarah Song
she/her
Hi! I’m a third year from Iowa studying DS + Statistics, and I adore cats, eating, and romping around town 🤩
Sonya Kiskachi
she/her
Hi! I’m a senior studying Data Science with an emphasis in Geospatial Science and a minor in being a silly goose :)
Will Furtado
he/him
Senior from Massachusetts studying Applied Math and CS. Huge proponent of the word “cheers”, among other things.
Teaching Assistants (GSIs)
All office hours are held in-person in Warren 101 unless otherwise specified
Alex Goldberg
he/him
I’m a second year CS + Legal Studies major. Ask me about fencing, hiking, cooking, or the circadian rhythms of malaria parasites
Atticus Ginsborg
he/him
Hi everyone! I’m a junior studying Data Science and Economics. Outside of school I love watching and playing all sports (especially chess), reading, and going on hikes in the Berkeley hills.
Audrey Chun
she/her
Lover of Portland, running, oatmilk lattes, Taylor Swift, and Data 8. Excited to meet you all this semester!! :)
Audrey Im
she/her
Hi! My name’s Audrey, and I’m a junior studying CS. Some of my hobbies include raving, Yelping, and yelling at the TV screen when the niners come on. Hit me up to talk about Data 8 or just life :)
Carrie Hu
she/her
Hi everyone, I’m a third year Political Science major from Arizona, and am super psyched to be a Data 8 uGSI! Let’s chat about good places to eat in Berkeley or getting in-depth on labs.
Dana Benedicto
she/her
hi! my name is Dana and I’m a junior studying data science. i am a big enthusiast of travelling, the beach, michael schur sitcoms, & bananagrams.
Eddie Liu
he/him
I’m a senior pursuing majors in data science and business administration, and this is my fourth semester as a uGSI on course staff! In my free time, I enjoy working out, listening to electronic dance music, and watching Marvel movies/shows.
Ethan Chien
he/him
Hey everyone! I am a 3rd year studying Data Science from Irvine, California. Besides my love for data science, I enjoy playing basketball, swimming and listening to music!
Eunice Choi
she/her
Hello! I am a 4th year studying Data Science and Sociology from San Ramon, CA. I am so happy to be back teaching the best class at Cal :) So excited to meet you all.
Jessica Golden
she/her
Hi! I’m a second year studying data science and cognitive science. Outside of school, I love solving all types of puzzles, playing percussion in UCBSO, staring at squirrels, journaling, and going on too many boba runs.
Jessica Qian
she/they
Hey y’all! I’m a senior studying Data Science (emphasis in Quantitative Social Science) and Japanese. I love a good cloud, traveling, and teaching Data 8! Excited for another great semester! c:
Jonathan Ferrari
he/they
hi! my name is jonathan, im a junior majoring in data sci, cog sci, and psych; when im not teaching or in class, you can usually find me at a cafe around campus, playing smash with friends, or out at a nearby trail hiking! i love to travel; a fun fact about me is that i’ve been to 47 states and 2/3 of the national parks!
Kanchana Samala
she/her
Hey y’all, I am a fourth-year Data Science major and CalTeach minor who loved Data 8 and can’t wait for you to join! Outside of the classroom, you can find me meditating or learning pottery :)
Katherine Ma
she/her
Hey! I’m a fourth year MCB major and Data Science minor who loves getting morning coffee, cooking, and making art. Excited to meet you all :)
Kristen Vitolo
she/her
Hi! I’m a junior from LA studying data science! I love playing competitive tetris, crocheting, and listening to k-pop.
Leanne Bardoles
she/her
hello! I’m a senior studying data science and public health who likes cats and tea :)
Lillian Weng
she/her
Hello! I’m a junior from the Bay studying CS and Data Science. I like watching Netflix, running, and collecting squishmallows.
Massimiliano (Max) Lucas
he/him
Super stoked to meet y’all this semester! Outside of class I’m probably at a Cal game with the Rally Committee, doing some kind of water sport, or playing D&D :)
Meiqi Sun
she/her
Hi everyone! I am a junior studying computer science and economics. I love travelling, watching movies, and playing table tennis. Looking forward to meeting y’all!
Miranda Shen
she/her
Hi everyone! I’m a junior from Toronto, Canada double majoring in Data Science and Psychology. I’m involved in neuroscience research and consulting here at Cal, but outside of work, I love painting, baking, and exploring Berkeley with my friends!
Oswaldo Pastor
he/him
Hi! I’m a senior from Peru majoring in Civil Engineering. In my free time I enjoy playing jazz, watching football (the one where you actually kick a ball) and working out!
Prasann Guruprasad
he/him
Hi everyone! I am a senior from Bangalore, India studying economics and statistics. Outside of class, I am a huge soccer (brownie points if you call it ‘football’ and if you support Bayern Munich), Formula 1 and cricket fan.
Rodrigo Leiva
he/him
Hi all! I’m a senior studying Data Science, and I enjoy watching movies, reading, and exploring the Bay. Looking forward to a great semester!
Sam Bobick
he/him
Hi! I’m a second year CS major from Sunnyvale, CA. Looking forward to a great semester with you all!
Sameer Keswani
he/him
Hey everyone! I’m a junior studying CS from the Bay. I love watching/playing soccer, working out, and playing the sax.
Sara Fang
she/her
Hi guys! I love food, fashion, the gym, and my friends. In my free time, you can probably spot me in a cafe or around campus with some of the other staff members.
Sean Wei
he/him
Hey everyone! I’m a senior from San Diego who loves sports and legos. Ready for one last ride with my favorite class!!
Sofia Kwee
she/her
I’m a senior studying data science and computational biology. My passions are games, food, and being a silly goose.
Su Min Park
she/her
Hello Hello! I am a Junior from South Korea studying Data Science and Sociology. Outside academics, I like playing nintendo switch (pokemon & animal crossing), reading, making and watching art, and just random discussions.
Sunya Abbasi
she/her
Hi everyone! I’m a junior from the Bay Area studying Data Science and Demography. Looking forward to meeting you all!
Ted Wang
he/him
Hello! I’m a junior majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Data Science. Before coming to university, I played esports professionally in two different game titles - very excited to be teaching this semester!
Vivian Kuang
she/her
Hi! I’m Vivian and I’m a third-year majoring in Political Economy and Data Science. In my free time you can find me figure skating, doing jigsaw puzzles, and checking out concerts in the Bay Area!
Zach Mackin
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My name is Zach Mackin, I am studying Computer Science and Statistics, and am from Denver, Colorado. I love hiking, sports, and traveling.
Tutors
Abby O'Neill
she/her
Hihi! I’m a second year who loves banana pancakes, German Shepherds, and flannel sleeping bags.
Aisha Gupta
she/her
Hi everyone, I’m a second year studying Data Science! I love watching marvel movies, reading, hiking, and binging sitcoms!
Amanda Burns
she/her
I’m a Junior studying Data Science and minoring in Public Policy and Journalism. Data 8 is my favorite class I’ve taken at Cal, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
Aneesh Durai
he/him
Hi everyone! I’m a second year majoring in Computer Science. Outside of school, I enjoy racquet sports and eating good food!
Angela Zhang
she/her
I am a sophomore studying Computer Science and Cognitive Science with a love for dance and design. My guilty pleasure is making Spotify playlists for myself and my friends!
Ava Payman
she/her
Hi! I’m a senior who would major in Data 8 if she could :) excited to meet you!
Brandon Chin
he/him
Hey y’all! I’m a second year majoring in EECS and minoring in Data Science, and I’m looking forward to a great semester!
Brandon Tang
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Hey everyone! I’m a sophomore studying Computer Science and Data Science. Outside of school, I like to go on photoshoot runs, play video games, and binge Netflix shows.
Sabi Can Ruso
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Hey everyone! I am a Junior from Istanbul, Turkey studying Environmental Science and Data Science. I love traveling, playing guitar, and football!
Clara Tu
she/her
Hi! I’m a sophomore studying CS & CogSci. In my free time, I like exploring restaurants, rock climbing, and playing cards. Excited to meet you all!
Conan Smallwood
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Hey everyone! My name is Conan, and I am a sophomore from Japan studying Statistics and Data Science. I love playing tennis and ping pong, and eating good food!
Dhilan Nagaraju
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Hi, I’m a sophomore studying data science and business. Looking forward to a great semester!
Edwin Vargas
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Hey, my name is Edwin, and I’ll be majoring in Data Science with a domain emphasis in Applied Math alongside a minor in CalTeach. I enjoy going on runs, hikes, and video games with friends.
Elizabeth Sun
she/her
Hi! I’m a sophomore studying CS/DS from Florida, hope y’all enjoy Data 8 as much as I did. Looking forward to a great semester :)
Ella DeGuzman
she/her
Hey everyone! I’m a second year bioengineering major (computational biology concentration) and a data science minor who loves traveling, painting, taking film photos, and fashion!!
Erin Kang
she/her
Hi! I’m a junior studying Data Science and Integrative Biology. In my free time I love going to karaoke and eating good food with friends :)
Gamy Aguas
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Hello! I am a 3rd year majoring in Math and Data Science. Major fan of coffee and music (Laufey and Daniela Spalla) ! :D
Hailey Holcomb
she/her
My name is Hailey, and this is my third semester of being on course staff for Data 8. I’m from Huntington Beach and enjoy traveling and exploring new places.
Ishani Gupta
she/her
Hi! I’m Ishani, and I’m a sophomore studying Economics and Data Science. I enjoy baking and crocheting stuffed animals in my free time, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone!
Jacob Lebovitz
he/him
Hi there! I am a second year studying Data Science and Sustainable Design. Outside of the classroom, I am on the Club Triathlon team’s board and am involved in entrepreneurship on campus.
JiHo Bang
he/him
Hi everyone, I’m a junior from Ecuador studying Data Science and CS. Outside of class, I’m a huge sports fan. Looking forward to a great semester!
Joe Gawlik
he/him
Hi there! I’m Joe and I love techno, working out, and cooking. I’m excited to be on Data 8 course staff :)
Julianna Lee
she/her
hello! i’m a second year from socal studying math who has gotten deeply invested in crocheting and plays a bit too much basketball :”) looking forward to meeting you all!
Kaed Esposo
he/him
Hey everyone! I’m a second year from Hawaii majoring in Political Science and Data Science. During my free time you can find me either at a concert, thrifting, or hanging with friends.
Katrina Liu
she/her
I’m Katrina (she/her) and I’m a sophomore studying computer science. In my free time I love to dance!!
Lauryn Nakamitsu
she/her
Hey everyone! I am a sophomore from Palo Alto majoring in Data Science. During my free time, I enjoy playing sports, listening to music, and hanging out with friends! I am looking forward to a fun semester!
Margot Lavitt
she/her
I’m a sophomore from Seattle studying Microbial Biology and minoring in Data Science. In my free time you can find me climbing, on the fire trails, or watching soccer.
Meenakshi Mittal
she/her
Hey everyone! I am a sophomore studying Computer Science and Applied Math, and Data 8 is one of my favorite courses I’ve taken at Berkeley. Excited to help out!
Ojasvi Saxena
she/her
Hi! I’m a sophomore from Chicago studying Data Science, Economics, and American Studies. I like listening to all sorts of music, driving down Highway 1, and drinking iced matcha lattes.
Sam Centeno
she/her
Hey! I’m a sophomore majoring in CS/DS who loves coffee, Summer Walker and Data 8. I previously worked with Scholars but am excited to join this course ;)) Let’s make this a great semester!
Sarah Kiefer
she/her
Hey guys! I’m a second year from the bay studying data science and econ. I really enjoy cooking, hiking around with friends, and am hopelessly addicted to reality tv :)
Sneha Mukherjee
she/her
I’m a second year student at Cal majoring in Economics and double-minoring in French and Data Science. In my free time, I enjoy reading books, writing songs, and traveling!
Sonya Shankar
she/her
Hello everyone! I am a senior studying cognitive science, with a minor in data science and dance & performance studies. In my free time, you will always find me dancing, working out, or vigorously curating my Spotify playlists :)
Tiffany Liu
she/her
I am a second-year majoring in Data Science with a concentration in Business and Industrial Analytics as well as minoring in Theater and Performance Studies.
Zackary Oon
he/him
Hey! I’m a second year from San Ramon studying computer science and premed. I love playing super smash bros., drawing, and hill trails.