Meet the Fellows Solving Delaware's Healthcare Workforce Shortage

Tech Impact's Data Innovation Lab recently announced its third cohort of Fellows. The Data Innovation Lab team uses advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to solve problems that make our communities a better place, in Delaware and across the country. Past projects include tracking COVID-19 through wastewater, building open-source metrics for communities, understanding telehealth usage, and optimizing rental assistance funding. This year Fellows have focused on understanding Delaware's healthcare labor gap, building tools for nonprofit social impact evaluation, and analyzing Delaware's workforce development environment among other projects.

Fellows complete a one-year term where they tackle problems using public data and supporting communities' needs. Fellows gain experience applying their technical skillsets to real-world challenges while building their skillsets via one-on-one mentoring, professional development, and peer-to-peer learning. Our fellows bring a diverse set of expertise, learn more about them here.

Maylene Ferrin, Augmented & Virtual Reality Fellow

Maylene graduated summa cum laude from Wilmington University with a B.S. in game design and development. She is certified in 3D media. During her senior year, Maylene spearheaded the creation of an augmented reality application for the University's crime scene investigation course. This app is now under beta development and incorporated into the University's future curriculum. Apart from programming, Maylene also enjoys reading biographies and thrillers, learning other languages, and researching vintage Hollywood.

Kaitlin Canalichio, Data Science Fellow
 

Kaitlin graduated with a Masters in Data from the University of Delaware after completing her undergraduate degree in Quantitative Biology. Throughout school, Kaitlin worked on research involving image processing and topological features of tear film. She enjoys reading, hiking at White Clay Creek State Park, playing music, going to the beach, and binging Netflix shows.

Yüksel Karahan, Data Science Fellow

Yuksel is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Delaware. His research interests include data science techniques for semi-supervised domain transfer, using machine learning tools to understand complex data, and analyzing and optimizing algorithms and their implications on data. Yuksel is currently working on Wasserstein-based divergence measures to understand the discrepancy between distributions and learning Spanish as his fourth language. He volunteers as a mentor organizing events that promote mental health and wellness among engineering graduate students. Yüksel hikes and camps with his wife and rescued German Shepherd.

We are currently accepting applications for this position. Apply here to become a 2023-24 Data Scientist Fellow.

Evan Miller, Data Science Fellow

Evan has a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and an M.S. in Mathematics from Central Michigan University. Before becoming a data analyst, he researched artificial intelligence and flight simulation for the Michigan Aerospace Center for simulations. Evan enjoys cooking and playing percussion instruments.

Dr. Tameca Beckett, Data Engineering Fellow

Dr. Beckett is a software and data engineer, scholar-practitioner, and information professional who is passionate about the intersections of data, technology, and community for the public good. She previously served as a public library director before assuming an academic librarian position at Delaware State University where she utilized her background in data analytics and research to create a new model utilizing appreciative inquiry and context personalization, resulting in a peer-reviewed publication. Dr. Beckett earned a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University and a Doctor of Education from Delaware State University. She is a member of the Delaware Library Association’s Executive Board and the American Library Association’s governing Council. When she’s not working, Dr. Beckett enjoys giving away books to young people, listening to music, and writing.

We are accepting applications for a Data Engineer Fellowship. Apply here to be considered.

Yupeng Lei, Front End Developer Fellow

Yupeng holds a B.A. in Finance from Pace University and an M.S. in Computer Science from the New Jersey Institution of Technology. He builds and ships front and back-end2022-23 web applications with a focus on UI/UX design, API implementation, responsive development, and data processing. Yupeng strives to combine data, design, and technology to solve problems and create user-focused products and visual experiences. Outside work, he loves soccer and basketball, especially Man United and the Golden State Warriors.

Nile Miller, Front End Developer Fellow

Nile most recently held the position of Marketing and Outreach Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania International Student and Scholar Services office. In this role, he developed marketing materials, web content, and data visualizations for a large, global audience. Nile holds a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia. He is also an alum of the University of Pennsylvania's Data Analytics Certificate program, where he gained proficiency in the R language and a fascination with developing data-driven web apps. He enjoys learning languages (whether spoken or programming) and exploring foreign countries.

Jose Dominguez, Front End Developer Fellow

Jose builds enjoyable user experiences that help people easily obtain the information2022-23 they need through high-quality functional apps. Before pursuing a career in web development, he applied for his bachelor's degree, from the University of Delaware in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, working for Delaware Fish and Wildlife. Now, with a newly expanded skill set from a UPENN coding boot camp, he is making the transition into the world of web development.

A fellowship with the Data Lab is an opportunity to gain experience while helping communities solve complex problems. It is a terrific way to gain hands-on experience in data analysis while benefiting the community. We have the honor of having these extraordinary fellows on our team, and if you are interested, we would be honored to have you as well. Join us in making a difference within the community and apply to our fellowship.