ChatADS

How do you navigate conflict in the workplace while building trust and maintaining strong professional relationships? In part two of our conversation with Greg Green, Faculty Director of the University of Chicago's MS in Applied Data Science program, Greg joins host Daniel Truesdale to discuss the role conflict plays in high-performing teams and why being technically correct isn't always e...

In this episode of ChatADS, MS in Applied Data Science Faculty Director Greg Green shares the story behind his transition from more than 30 years in industry to the University of Chicago. Greg reflects on navigating imposter syndrome as he considered becoming a Faculty Director and how he learned to focus on the experience, perspective, and strengths he could bring to a new role. He also takes us...

Recent MS in Applied Data Science graduate Sebastian joins ChatADS to reflect on his experience at UChicago and how he plans to apply what he learned as he returns to his career at Colombia’s central bank. Sebastian shares how his background in economics led him to data science and explores how new sources of data are changing the way economists and financial institutions approach complex problems...

What does it take to build a career at the intersection of business, data science, and AI? In this episode of ChatADS, Daniel Truesdale sits down with MS in Applied Data Science student Bandar Soufi to talk about his path from healthcare and consulting to data science. Bandar shares what led him to pursue graduate study at the University of Chicago, how generative AI has changed the way he approac...

ChatADS host Daniel Truesdale sits down with Natalia Elezovic, Senior AI Engineer at Bank of America working on Erica for Employees, for a conversation exploring how to solve AI problems at scale, the next bottlenecks in the AI space, the skillsets that matter, how to build an AI strategy across industries, and where we're at with AGI. Natalia's career has evolved from hands-on model perfo...

In this episode of ChatADS, Daniel sits down with DuJuan Smith, Director of Student Affairs for the UChicago's MS in Applied Data Science program, for a conversation that goes far beyond higher education. DuJuan reflects on the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, from discovering the transformative power of college, to studying abroad in Ghana, sailing around the world with Sem...

What does it take to build a successful career in AI beyond technical skills? In this episode of ChatADS, Daniel sits down with Jenny Schmidt, founder of J Schmidt Consulting and instructor for the University of Chicago's MS in Applied Data Science Career Seminar, to discuss how students and professionals can stand out in today's rapidly evolving job market. Jenny shares practical advice o...

ChatADS host Daniel Truesdale chats with Nicole Janeway Bills, Founder & CEO of Data Strategy Professionals, to explore how AI is transforming the way organizations operate, and why technology alone isn't enough to drive successful adoption. Nicole shares her perspective on data strategy, governance, organizational culture, and the growing gap between AI capabilities and organizational rea...

In Part 2 of their conversation, MS in Applied Data Science instructor Batu Gundogdu and host Daniel Truesdale explore some of the biggest questions surrounding the future of artificial intelligence. The discussion covers Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the race between leading AI companies, the push for smaller and more efficient models, and whether AI could one day surpass human capabilit...

In this Faculty Spotlight conversation, Batu Gundogdu traces the evolution of AI from early machine learning research and speech processing to today's large language models and emerging world models. Along the way, he discusses how AI has changed over the last decade, what may come next, and how foundational concepts continue to shape modern systems. Batu also shares lessons from his first AI...

AI assistants are starting to do more than answer questions; they’re beginning to take action. In this episode of ChatADS, MS in Applied Data Science alumna Hailey Kleban joins Daniel to discuss Resy’s new integration with Claude, the future of agentic AI in restaurant booking, and the real-world challenges of balancing automation, security, and human oversight.

Students from the University of Chicago's MS in Applied Data Science program share how they built a real-time crypto trading system for their Real Time Intelligent Systems class, and what they learned about volatility, model performance, and decision-making in fast-moving markets. Explore the project here on GitHub: https://github.com/shreyast36/nexus-trading

In this episode of ChatADS, Daniel chats with Ben Wiebers from Career Services to break down what it actually takes to land a role in data science. Drawing on his experience as a corporate recruiter, Ben shares what hiring teams are really looking for, common mistakes candidates make, and how to stand out in a competitive job market. From building a strong narrative to navigating rejections and ta...

In this episode of ChatADS, Professor Arnab Bose shares his experience working on early autonomous vehicle systems and reflects on how the field has evolved with modern AI. With Waymo preparing to enter Chicago, the conversation explores: The technical foundations of autonomous driving Real-world deployment challenges in urban environments (hello Chicago snow) Ethical and regulatory considerations...

In this episode of ChatADS , we sit down with MS in Applied Data Science alum Nathan Rickert, now a data scientist at Thrivent, to explore how AI is being applied in the financial space. Nathan shares how his team is building across predictive, generative, and agentic AI, and why understanding the difference between them matters in practice. The conversation dives into how organizations are using...

In Episode 2 of ChatADS, host Daniel Truesdale sits down with MS in Applied Data Science alum Vino Gunasekaran ’16, Principal –  Global Innovation & Analytics at Circana, to unpack what “agentic AI” really means in practice. Drawing from real-world experience in forecasting, pricing, and supply chain decision-making across the food and retail industries, Vino explains why traditional models br...

In the first episode of ChatADS, Daniel Truesdale sits down with MS in Applied Data Science graduate Steve Veldman to talk about what applied data science looks like beyond the classroom. They discuss how AI is actually built and used in industry, from open-source tradeoffs and intellectual property to computer vision, ethics, and the skills students should focus on as they prepare for real-world...

In this introductory episode of ChatADS, host Daniel Truesdale shares why the podcast was created and what listeners can expect from future episodes. From applied data science and AI in practice to ethics, careers, and real-world decision-making, ChatADS brings thoughtful conversations with students, alumni, faculty, and industry leaders to the forefront.

In this short promo episode, host Daniel Truesdale introduces ChatADS, a podcast from the University of Chicago’s MS in Applied Data Science program. Learn what the podcast is about, who it’s for, and what listeners can expect in upcoming episodes—featuring conversations with faculty, students, alumni, and industry professionals on real-world data science, careers, and emerging trends.