Data scientist: Sexiest job in 21st century

As we are living in the Big Data Era, Data Science is becoming a very promising field to harness and process huge volumes of data generated from various sources. Data Science is a vast discipline in itself, consisting of specialized skill sets such as statistics, mathematics, programming, computer science and so on. Data science consists of several elements, techniques and theories including math, statistics, predictive analysis, data modelling, data engineering, data mining, and visualization.

In this modern era, data scientists are the super powered heroes who lead the digital world.

Who is actually a Data scientist? What do they actually do? Are they struggling with data all day and night or experimenting in his/her laboratory with complex mathematics?  

Let’s explore!

There are several definitions available on Data Scientists. In simple words, A data scientist is a professional responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting extremely large amounts of data.

They’re part mathematician, part computer scientist and part trend-spotter. And, because they straddle both the business and IT worlds, they’re highly sought-after and well-paid.

They’re also a sign of the times. Data scientists weren’t on many radars a decade ago, but their sudden popularity reflects how businesses now think about big data. That unwieldy mass of unstructured information can no longer be ignored and forgotten. It’s a virtual gold mine that helps boost revenue – as long as there’s someone who digs in and unearths business insights that no one thought to look for before.

To take an idea will see some definition of data scientist from different popular websites.

• Data scientists are big data wranglers, gathering and analyzing large sets of structured and unstructured data. A data scientist’s role combines computer science, statistics, and mathematics. They analyze, process, and model data then interpret the results to create actionable plans for companies and other organizations. (Masters in data science )

• Data Scientist practices the art of Data Science. (Edureka)

• A data scientist is a professional responsible for collecting, analyzing and interpreting extremely large amounts of data. The data scientist role is an offshoot of several traditional technical roles, including mathematician, scientist, statistician and computer professional. This job requires the use of advanced analytics technologies, including machine learning and predictive modelling.(TechTarget)

Inspiring Facts: Top 5 data scientist   (From AnalyticsInsights)

 

1. Geoffrey Hinton

Geoffrey Hilton is called the Godfather of Deep Learning in the field of data science. Mr Hinton is best known for his work on neural networks and artificial intelligence. A PhD in artificial intelligence, he is accredited for his exemplary work on neural nets.

Twitter- @geoffreyhinton

 

Awards– AM Turing (2019), BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Information and Communication Technologies (2016), IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award (2014), IJCAI Award for Research Excellence (2005), Rumelhart Prize (2001).

 

2. Jeff Hammerbacher

 

The co-founder of the term, “Data Science”, Jeff Hammerbacher developed methods and techniques for capturing, storing, and analysing a large amount of data. Credited to start Facebook’s data science team, he threw his weight behind adopting Hadoop enabling the social media giant’s data team to process tons of data in real-time at a lightning-fast speed. Mr Hammerbacher is the co-founder at Cloudera and also been an instructor at the Icahn School of Medicine.

Twitter- @hackingdata

Book- Beautiful Data

 

3. Dhanurjay Patil

Dhananjay Patil is a former US Chief Data Scientist, and along with Jeff Hammerbacher he coined the term “data science”. A doctorate in Applied Mathematics from the University of Maryland College Park, the distinguished Dhanurjay Patil has been a principal consultant to many blue-chip companies which include LinkedIn, Skype, Salesforce, PayPal, eBay, and Greylock Partners.

Twitter- @dpatil

Awards– Medal for Distinguished Public Service

 

4. Alex “Sandy” Pentland

 

Alex “Sandy” Pentland is termed as one of the world’s seven most powerful data scientists along with Larry Page, by Tim O’Reilly in 2011. Mr Pentland also founded and leads an MIT-wide program that works actively in pioneering computational social science using Big Data and AI. A serial entrepreneur he co-leads the World Economic Forum Big Data and Personal Data initiatives and is a founding member of the Advisory Boards for Motorola Mobility, Telefonica, Nissan, and a variety of start-up firms.

Mr Pentland leads the Media Lab Entrepreneurship Program promoting companies using cutting edge technologies to solve real-world problems. Mr Pentland is also an advisor to the Enigma Project & Endor.

Twitter- @alex_pentland

Awards– McKinsey Award from Harvard Business Review, Brandeis Award, The 40th Anniversary of the Internet (from DARPA)

 

5. Dean Abbott

Founder and president of Abbott Analytics, Dean Abbott is a seasoned data science professional. With over 21 years of enriching experience, he is adept at deploying advanced and complex data mining techniques into data preparation and data visualization.

Mr Abbot is credited for his outstanding expertise in fraud detection mechanics, data and modelling, missile guidance, survey analysis, predictive toxicology, and signal processes.

Twitter- @deanabb

Books – IBM SPSS Modeler Cookbook and Applied Predictive Analytics: Principles and Techniques for the Professional Data Analyst.