ADS Capstone Chronicles Revised

Dear Reader,

It is with great pleasure that we introduce the inaugural edition of Capstone Chronicles , a collection of outstanding Capstone projects from the MS in Applied Data Science (ADS) program at the University of San Diego (USD) in 2024. This publication serves as a testament to the dedication, creativity, and analytical expertise of our students as they tackle real-world challenges through data-driven and analytical solutions. The University of San Diego’s innovative online Applied Data Science master’s degree program is committed to training current and future data science and engineering professionals for the important and fascinating work ahead. The strengths of our program include a signi cant emphasis on real-world applications, ethics, moral responsibility, and social good in designing data science projects, and it has been developed by data science professionals in close collaboration with key industry and government stakeholders to provide in-depth practical and technical training. Each graduating cohort (Spring, Summer, and Fall) included in this magazine consists of 25-30 students. In the Capstone course, students apply the knowledge and skills acquired in this master’s program. The Capstone project serves as a culminating experience for students in the program, enabling them to apply their theoretical knowledge to a research-driven, code-intensive project. Students lead an end-to-end data science work ow, including data acquisition, processing, and analysis, while deploying appropriate analytical techniques. The project is documented in an academic journal-style article and presented in a recorded technical presentation. We hope that Capstone Chronicles serves as both an inspiration and a resource for future students, researchers, and practitioners in the eld of data science. By sharing these exemplary projects, we aim to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and contribute to the broader discourse on applied data science. We extend our gratitude to the students whose hard work is showcased in these pages, as well as to the faculty and mentors who have guided them throughout their journeys. Thank you for your interest in Capstone Chronicles and the MS-Applied Data Science program at the University of San Diego.

The 2024 Capstone Chronicles Editorial Team ​ Anna Marbut ​ Ebrahim Tarshizi

This letter was composed with the assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

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