Alumni Spotlight-Casalegno

Vanessa Casalegno Alumni Banner

UC Davis was my top choice for where I wanted to complete my masters in Statistics.  I wanted to attend a school that was known not only for its rigor and prestige, but also its small-town feel.  I grew up in Hollister, CA, a town known for its agriculture, and I knew that moving to Davis to attend UCD would be an east transition to make.

The rigor and prestige of the Statistics program at UCD speaks for itself, the department is highly ranked and the professors are top-notch.  Whenever I had a question or simply wanted to complete my homework in office hours, they were willing and ready to help.  A huge thank you goes out to the faculty ij the department, their effective teaching and lecture notes helped me not just to prepare for exams but also interviews and beyond. 

The graduate courses taken during my time in the program mimic what is expected of a Data Analyst or Data Scientist entering the workforce.  I can proudly say that my knowledge in computational statistics, regression, experimental design, machine learning, etc. are going to great use, as I am currently working with Google and use a combination of these skills every day.  I work on a sales team that creates internal tools to assist the workflows of reps working with Google AdWords.  My role is to analyze tools by measuring impact, productivity and user satisfaction. 

At the end of the program, I can say that I left with a strong background in statistics, some good friends, strong faculty relationships, and I confidence that I never had before.