Staff
Instructors
Swupnil Sahai
he/him
A Bay Area native, 2013 Cal grad and startup founder who is teaching Data 8 for the 6th time 📈 If he’s not at Wheeler, you can catch him playing tennis, hiking or being autonomously driven in his Tesla ⚡
Lead GSIs
All office hours are held in-person in Warren 101 unless otherwise specified
Carter Sun
he/him
Hey everyone, I’m a senior studying economics and data science, and I took Data 8 as my first exposure to data science! In my free time, I like to exercise and to just kick back and relax.
Ciara Acosta
she/her
Hi! I’m a fourth year DS + Econ major who took Data 8 as a Scholar and is beyond excited for you to join!! 🥰 Outside of the classroom, you can find me at Berkeley Social Club, Grégoire, or the lawn in front of California hall.
James Weichert
he/him
Hi y’all! I’m a senior from Virginia studying computer science and data science. Data 8 is one of my favorite courses and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
Nicole Park
she/her
Hi everyone! I’m a fourth year data science and economics major who loves concerts, food, movies, and kickboxing ✩
Oscar
he/him
Senior studying CS from the Bay Area. Looking forward to a mega semester!
Padma Venkatraman
she/her
Hi! I’m Padma and I study Astrophysics and Data Science. Looking forward to a great semester with you all!
Rithvik Sunku
he/him
5th year Data Science Master’s student excited for another semester of the best course on campus ;) Looking forward to meeting y’all this semester!
Sonya Kiskachi
she/her
Loves: long walks on the beach, good bike lanes. Hates: cold weather, the intersection of Shattuck and University.
Wendy Kim
she/her
Hi everyone! I’m a fourth year studying Data Science who is looking forward to one last year with Data 8. :’)
Will Furtado
he/him
Applied Math and CS major from Massachusetts who took his talents to the Bay to join Data 8 course staff. Big Spotify guy, bigger Wii Sports guy.
Teaching Assistants (GSIs)
All office hours are held in-person in Warren 101 unless otherwise specified
Anna Zhao
she/her
Hey everyone! Here are some of my favorite things: my puppy Cookie, passion fruit green tea, pretty keyboards, and Data 8!
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 Im
she/her
Hey everyone, I’m Audrey! This is my fourth semester on staff, and I’m so excited to teach you all this semester. I’m a big Yelper, Arctic Monkeys fan, and foodie, so if you wanna talk about Data 8 or food recs, hit me up!
Devin Sze
he/him
Hi yall, my name is Devin, and this is my 6th semester teaching Data 8 :D I’m super excited to meet you all, feel free to drop by if you wanna talk about internships, minecraft, gRaPhiC dEsIgN, or whatnot ❤️❤️
Diana Qing
she/her
Hi! I’m a third year studying Computer Science. Data 8 was one of my favorite classes, and I’m excited to get to know everyone better this semester!
Eddie Liu
he/him
I’m a senior pursuing majors in data science and business administration, and this is my third semester as a uGSI on course staff! In my free time, I enjoy weight training, listening to electronic dance music, and watching Marvel movies/shows.
Eunice Choi
she/her
Hello! I’m a 4th year studying Data Science and Sociology. Outside of Data 8 I love reading books, looking at art, and picking up random hobbies. Excited to meet you all :)
Jeffrey Chen
he/him
Hello everyone!! I’m a Junior majoring in CS and DS. In my free time I enjoy listening to kpop, sleeping, and watching random videos. Feel free to email me some song recommendations!!
Jessica Qian
she/they
Hey y’all! I’m a senior studying Data Science (emphasis in Quantitative Social Science) and Japanese. I love sunsets, traveling, and teaching Data 8! Excited for another great semester! c:
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 on the glade with SKY at Berkeley, learning pottery at the Berkeley Art Studio, or getting bingsu with Ciara, Sonya & Sara :)
Katherine Ma
she/her
Hi! I’m a senior from Taiwan studying MCB and Data Science. Excited to meet you all this semester!
Kelsey Ley
she/her
Hi! I’m a junior from the bay who loves baking and taking sub-par pictures of food. Looking forward to a fun semester!
Kinsey Long
she/her
Ice cream connoisseur. Gig car enthusiast. Houseplant dealer.
Lillian Weng
she/her
Hello! I’m a junior studying CS and Data Science. I switched my major because of Data 8, so super excited to teach :D
Massimiliano (Max) Lucas
he/him
Hey! I’m a senior doubling in IEOR and DS, and am super stoked to meet y’all! Out of class you can find me planning Homecoming and Bonfire Rally with the Rally Committee or playing D&D!
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!
Noah Tran
he/him
Hi everyone, I’m Noah! I’m a big fan of figure skating, tennis, and Data 8.
Oswaldo Pastor
he/him
Hi everyone! I’m a fourth year international student from Peru majoring in Civil Engineering. On my free time I enjoy working out, playing basketball and practicing jazz improv.
Peter Valverde
he/him
Hey everyone, I’m Peter. I love running, hiking , lifiting, and reminding students to restart their kernel.
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.
Ron Wang
he/him
Hi there, I’m super thrilled to be returning from summer! I’m a rising junior majoring in economics and DS/CS. My hometown is Shanghai, China.
Sarah Song
she/her
Hi! I’m a third year from Iowa studying DS and Statistics, and I adore cats, eating, and romping around town. Looking forward to meeting y’all!
Sean Wei
he/him
Hey everyone! I’m a fourth-year Data Science major from San Diego who loves sports and binge-watching stuff. Cooler than Sara B)
Shawn Huang
he/him
Senior studying CS from the Bay Area. Looking forward to a great semester!
Sofia Kwee
she/her
Hi! I am a senior studying data science. I am really involved in data science organizations at Cal and passionate about computational biology.
Sonya Shankar
she/her
Hi! My name is Sonya Shankar, and I am a senior studying Cognitive Science with a minor in Data Science & Dance. In my free time, you will always find me dancing, making Spotify playlists, or at the gym.
Steven Deng
he/him
Hi, my name is Steven Deng and I’m a third year majoring in CS and Data Science. In my free time, I like to go on day trips, skateboard, and play videogames. Looking forward to meeting you!
Zayan Khanmohammed
he/him
Hi everyone! I am a senior from Los Angeles studying Data Science & Public Health. Outside of class, I love playing basketball, listening to music, and traveling the world. Excited for a great semester!
Tutors
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
Amanda Burns
she/her
Hi! I’m a junior from Oakland studying Data Science, Public Policy, and Journalism. Data 8 is by far my favorite course at Cal and I hope y’all enjoy it as much as I did!
Andrew Chen
he/him
Hi everyone! I’m a third year majoring in Political Science and Psychology and minoring in Data Science from San Diego who loves playing card/board games and watching YouTube. I enjoyed taking Data 8, and I hope you all will too!
AJ Grover
he/him
Hi all - I’m AJ, a third year Math/CS/DS major from SoCal. I’m a proud member of the Cal Band, Berkeley Economic Review, and facilitator of the Poker DeCal. I’d love to chat - feel free to reach out!
Audrey Chun
she/her
Hi!! I’m a second-year majoring in Data Science, originally from Portland, Oregon. I love running, hiking, oatmilk lattes, food, Madewell, and helping students out with Data 8 ;)
Brandon Chin
he/him
Hi everyone, my name is Brandon Chin and I’m a sophomore majoring in EECS and planning to minor in DS and Math. I loved taking Data 8 this time last year, so I hope y’all have a great time too :D
Can Ruso
he/him
My name is Can Ruso and I am a third year student from İstanbul, Turkey. On my free time I love to jam on my guitar, watch sports and binge movies and shows!
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 tutor again! Let’s chat about good places to eat in Berkeley or getting in-depth on tutoring worksheets.
Dhilan Nagaraju
he/him
Hi, I’m a sophomore intended DS + business student. I’m excited for this semester and looking forward to meeting all of you.
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 EDM and K-pop!
Hailey Holcomb
she/her
Hello! My name is Hailey Holcomb and I am a sophomore majoring in Data Science and minoring in IEOR. I’m super excited to be on course staff for Data 8 again this semester and can’t wait to meet everyone!
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 Aldrich
he/him
hey y’all, my name is Jacob Aldrich and I am a junior from SoCal studying Math and Data Science! if you ever see me, come talk to me about sports, music, cooking, or video games (except for League)
Jasmine Lin
she/her
Hello, so excited to teach Data 8 this semester! Talk to me about anything, especially food-related topics!
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.
Julianna Lee
she/her
hello friendos i’m a second year from socal studying math who plays a bit too much word hunt and basketball! excited for this semesterr
Karen Li
she/her
Hi everyone! I’m a fourth year majoring in public health and this will be my sixth semester on staff! In my free time you can find me getting food in Oakland or finding new shows to watch.
Kristen Vitolo
she/her
Hi! I am a junior from LA studying data science. In my free time I love to crochet, learn k-pop dances, and drink boba!
Lauryn Nakamitsu
she/her
I am sophomore intending to major in Data Science! I love playing sports, listening to music, and hanging out with friends!
Lisa Liu
she/her
Hi, I’m Lisa! I’m a Junior majoring in Data Science and Econ. I like streaming shows, hiking, and baking in my free time. Super excited to meet you all!
Maricruz Montes de Oca
she/they
Hey everyone! I’m a 3rd year studying data science with a domain emphasis in business and industrial analytics. Some topics I care about are STEM education, politics, and financial literacy.
Meenakshi Mittal
she/her
I am a sophomore with an intended double major in computer science and applied math. Data 8 is one of my favorite courses I’ve taken at Berkeley and I’m so excited to help out!
Nikil Sunku
he/him
Hello my goofy data8 goobers, I’m Nikil! I like cooking, working out, and all sports from football to fútbol.
Noel Salmeron
he/him
Hey everyone! I’m a junior from the Bay Area and studying Data Science. I love pop music, horror movies, and spending time with friends. Looking forward to this semester!
Owen Sleigh
he/him
Hello, I’m a senior studying applied math and computer science. I’m excited to learn about some data science with you all!
Ramisha Kabir
she/her
Hey! I am a second year studying Data Science and CS from Dhaka, Bangladesh and Assam. India. I love exploring new places, taking photos, hiking, reading, eating and watching fun shows and movies.
Ria Bhandarkar
she/her
I’m a third year studying Economics and Data Science. Data 8 is one of my favorite classes ever so I’m excited to be on the course staff again this semester!
Rodrigo Leiva
he/him
Hey all! I’m a senior majoring in Data Science, and I’ve been working with Data 8 since my sophomore year. In my free time, I enjoy watching shows/movies, exploring the Bay and playing videogames.
Ryan Cottone
he/him
Hey! I’m a EECS + Math sophomore and first time Data 8 Tutor. Outside of school, I enjoy long hikes and playing tennis.
Sameer Keswani
he/him
Hey everyone! I’m a junior studying CS and DS. When I’m not grinding school, I love watching/playing soccer, going to the gym, and playing the sax.
Sam Bobick
he/him
Hi! I’m a second year CS major from Sunnyvale, CA. Looking forward to a great semester!
Sandra You
she/her
Hi all! I’m Sandra and I’m a senior studying cs and data science. In my free time I love to hike, cook, and read.
Srikar Munukutla
he/him
Hi! My name is Srikar and I’m a junior from the Bay Area studying Computer Science and ORMS. I love watching and playing sports, listening to music, and trying new foods.
Su Min Park
she/her
Hello! I’m a third-year studying data science and sociology. I am SUPER excited to teach:)
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 and I couldn’t be more excited for this fall semester!
Thomas Gerken
he/him
Hi everyone, I’m a second year from SoCal studying data science and economics and I can’t wait to work with you all this semester! Outside of DATA8, I’m an avid jogger + podcast listener and I love discovering new (spicy) places to eat at.
Vinh Bui
he/him
Hello everyone, my name is Vinh Bui. I am a senior student majoring in Data Science. In my free time, I love to read books or hangout with friends.
Vivian Kuang
she/her
Hellooo my name is Vivian and I’m a third-year majoring in Political Economy and Data Science and minoring in Ethnic Studies. In my free time I like figure skating, concerts, and jigsaw puzzles!
Yasmin Ho
she/her
I am half English and half Taiwanese, but I was born in South Africa. I am a sophomore intending to study Data Science.
Zach Mackin
he/him
My name is Zach Mackin, I am studying Data Science and Statistics, and am from Denver, Colorado. I am the captain of Cal’s Disc Golf Team and other than that I love hiking and traveling.