I’m Matt, a data scientist currently based in Chicago, Illinois. I currently work for the University of Chicago’s Urban Labs, which is a research non-profit focused on improving the quality of life in cities and urban environments through collaboration with public sector and community partners.
I am passionate about solving interesting or important problems, and my favorite feelings are
- the euphoria one feels when they try to learn a difficult new concept or technique and they finally understand as the pieces click into place,
- the euphoria one feels when they can produce this spark of understanding in someone else.
To help develop my ability to understand and work on bigger and more complex problems, I earned a M.S. in Computer Science with a specialization in data science from DePaul University (graduated with distinction), and a B.Sc. in Physics from Purdue University (with a minor in Mechanical Engineering). I added hundreds of tools, techniques, and strategies for exploring and understanding observable phenomena, as well as reams of reference knowledge to my mental toolbox through the process of earning these degrees, but one of the most valuable lessons I learned through the process is summarized by these notes on Nobel physicist and brilliant thinker Richard Feynman’s last blackboard.
