Yaelle Pierre

During my position as a Data Science Consultant in the Research Computing and Data Services team at Northwestern, I've had the pleasure of supporting researchers through one-on-one research consultations and through small groups that meet quarterly as a part of our Bring Your Own Data (BYOD) Working Groups program. Consultations provide no-cost, short-term support to answer questions, help you get started, direct you to the right resources, or tackle small tasks. These consultations have proven to be invaluable opportunities for researchers to receive tailored guidance, whether it's answering intricate questions, assisting in project initiation, directing individuals towards pertinent resources, or tackling small but critical tasks. I've taken great pride in facilitating research endeavors by troubleshooting code, thereby eliminating technical roadblocks, and spearheading data science research initiatives to derive actionable results. I've worked closely with fellow team members to craft data science and programming tutorials that resonate with our diverse audience, further enhancing their skill sets. Additionally, I've contributed to streamlining laboratory workflows by automating various processes, bolstering software programs to improve functionality, and conducting rigorous text, image, or statistical analyses to optimize team performance. One of the most significant takeaways from my experience in this role has been the development of exceptional communication skills. I've learned how to eloquently articulate my thoughts and advice, ensuring that researchers who seek my guidance leave with a clear understanding and actionable insights. This ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and effective communication has been instrumental in fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing within our research community.

As a Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) fellow, I was one of the few selected from thousands of high achieving applicants to participate in this prestigious Career Prep program. The program was focused on equipping emerging leaders from underrepresented backgrounds with the skills, network, and experience needed to achieve personal and professional success. Throughout the program, I had the opportunity to engage with industry experts, seasoned professionals, and fellow emerging leaders in a variety of settings. This immersive experience allowed me to develop critical skills in leadership, communication, and problem-solving, while also gaining valuable exposure to a range of industries and career paths. MLT is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to empowering underrepresented minorities with the tools they need to succeed in business leadership. Through mentorship, career coaching, and access to a robust network of professionals, MLT aims to create a pipeline of diverse, talented leaders who can drive innovation and growth in the workforce. As an MLT fellow, I am proud to have been a part of this mission and look forward to continuing to apply the skills and insights I gained through the program in my professional journey.

As a Data Engineering Intern on the Shared Data Services team at Discover, I focused on building and optimizing data pipelines using Ab Initio, an enterprise ETL tool. I worked with data sourced from Snowflake and Teradata—external systems not owned by Discover—which required secure extraction and careful coordination. My main project involved developing the Portfolio Credit History (PCH) pipeline, which helps generate credit profiles for college students with little to no credit history. I transformed and loaded this data into Oracle, creating both daily and cycle tables that are scheduled to go live in production in July. I collaborated with API developers to ensure that these tables could be effectively surfaced in the user-facing GUI, and worked closely with the Credit Ops team to translate business requirements into technical solutions. I also coordinated with infrastructure and engineering teams to implement and test changes that improved pipeline performance and scalability. In addition to pipeline development, I gained hands-on experience with Discover’s CI/CD processes—contributing code and configuration changes that were automatically tested, reviewed, and deployed through their internal DevOps infrastructure.

Energy CX is a fastest-growing energy advisory firm providing commercial real estate owners & operators innovative & transparent strategies for reducing utility spend. I had the pleasure of working under the CTO during my time as a data engineer intern for this company. I had two projects during the spam of my internship, automating the pricing parameters, and creating a graphic that will automatically update every month with stats from the sales department. The first project included growing accustomed to the responsibilities of the operations team to better understand the variables that would need to go into automating the pricing parameters. During this process I had to create a standardized naming conventions that would relate to the commodity, utility name, and state, to be able to map the utilities and variables properly. The naming convention I created significantly decreased the time that it took to look up a specific ticket, as well as helped with organization of legacy data. I helped with changing all the names as well as testing the changes on Salesforce to see if it impacted any old SQL queries and pipelines. The next project involved using Prosgres, Tableau, and Airbyte to take data from our sales platform and transform it into separate SQL queries that can be used to show where each of the sales associates are in terms of completing their quarterly goals. This process had to be automated to also send an email out every month showcasing the standings. Working under the CTO at Energy CX taught me important soft and technical skills and I really appreciate the time that I had there.

SciQuel is a non-profit organization with a mission to increase scientific literacy among non-technical people. The company achieves this goal by providing scientific articles that are accessible and easy to understand. Their work focuses on making science accessible to a wider audience and breaking down barriers to scientific education. Working at SciQuel was a valuable experience that taught me the importance of data-driven decision-making and the power of collaboration in achieving organizational goals. During my time as a data analyst intern at SciQuel, I had the opportunity to explore and refine my skills in data analysis, visualization, and collaboration. As an integral member of the team, I had the chance to work on complex data sets composed of unstructured, semi-structured, and structured data, uncovering insights that informed strategic decision-making. In this role, I honed my ability to build visually appealing data visualizations and self-service data projects, delivering an intuitive and action-oriented user experience. I also had the chance to actively participate in defining data strategies and website visuals, working closely with web developers to bring these strategies to life. I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to such a dynamic and innovative team.

• Monitored multiple pools, lockers, and bathrooms to ensure a clean and enjoyable environment • Completed 60 hours of lifeguard training including becoming CPR, BLS, and first aid certified

• Assisted in analyzing findings to understand the significance of certain data points, while collaborating with team members to develop and refine the approach used to gather and analyze data • Analyzed current processes, procedures, and policies to identify weaknesses, deficiencies, inefficiencies, and/or gaps for improvement in the design and functionality of the studies • Coded videos using a multitude of different software to analyze trends and correlations in collected data • Determined the eligibility of possible participants to conduct in-person/online studies by examining the lab database • Conducted data cleaning to present findings in a format that can be used to understand how language and cognition develop in the first years of life

• Applied problem-solving skills to resolve customer inquiries and disputes, and escalate using appropriate channels when necessary • Answered approximately 200 incoming calls daily in a professional manner to identify customer needs and facilitate the proper relay of information • Met and exceeded daily productivity goals, including managing high call volume and appointment setting

• Co-supervised a group of toddlers and adolescents • Worked with other supervisors to plan group activities • Oversaw waterfront station with other camp counselor • Provided emotional support to youth attendees as necessary • Facilitated daily arts and crafts projects • Ensured that camp policies were enforced and campers were safe