Meet the 2020 Fellows: U.S. Census Bureau
By: Ariana Ophelia Soto
Tags: Coding It Forward, Civic Digital Fellowship, Internships, Civictech, Government

Meet the 2020 Fellows: U.S. Census Bureau

This post is part of a series introducing the 2020 Civic Digital Fellows, a cohort of close to 60 students working to improve the federal government with their computer science, data science, design, and product management skills. Meet some of them below.

Meet the Fellows

Abhinay Dommalapti

Abhinay is a rising senior at the University of Virginia studying Computer Science and Statistics.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to work on real-world problems with high impact. I hope that my work will make a positive difference in the civic community.

Q: What is your favorite thing about technology, and why?

A: My favorite thing about technology is how it has co-developed with our generation. We are the generation who has seen video games grow from the Gameboy to Virtual Reality.

Aishani Dutta

Aishani is a rising sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m honored to be a part of such a talented group of individuals with expertise in so many different fields. I can’t wait to learn from some of the brightest people at the forefront of our nation’s technological progress. Most of all I’m excited to contribute to projects that have the potential to impact so many Americans. I’m looking forward to using my passion for computing to make a difference this summer!

Q: Who is the person you admire the most, and why?

A: Greta Thunberg — I admire her fearlessness and persistence in fighting for what she believes in. She speaks with so much conviction and has an incredibly powerful presence at such a young age. I aspire to enact change with the level of focus that Greta has in her work.

Alex Gao

Alex is an incoming Master’s student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Computer Science and Economics.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m happy to get more insight into our government’s function and its needs, and figure out how to leverage technology in a responsible way. More than anything, however, I’m excited to meet new people and learn from them!

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: I love playing taiko! Taiko a style of drumming that incorporates music and dance and theater. It has origins in Japan, but also has distinctly local and international influences. I love the community and the art very, very much. Shoutout to my group, Cal Raijin Taiko!

Amy Lo

Amy is a rising sophomore at Stanford University studying Product Design Engineering + Psychology.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow because I’m passionate about helping others and about technology. Growing up, I’ve always been interested in design and modern media, and I think that this opportunity gives me the perfect chance to use those interests to bring change. I’m super thrilled about the prospect of working with the Census. I can’t wait to get started!

Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I would want to visit China again, especially in the winter time. I think that revisiting China is not only a cultural experience for me, but also a philosophical one. It helps me think about my identity and my worldview, while still leading me to such a rich and gorgeous landscape.

Andy Green

Andy is a first-year Master’s student at Georgetown University studying Data Science for Public Policy.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: The Civic Digital Fellowship lies at the intersection of the two things I’m most passionate about — data science and public policy. I’m really excited for the opportunity to apply the technical skills I’m learning through my graduate program outside the classroom, and to do so in the context of helping a federal agency to solve an important challenge.

Q: Anything else you might want to share with the world?

A: Before starting grad school, I spent about four years helping to launch the US operations for Lidl, an international grocery retailer. I studied the US grocery market in depth, helped to craft the company’s promotional strategy, and led a team through the initial launch and first two years of operations.

Anna Kong

Anna is a recent graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology where she studied Data Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I see it as an opportunity to utilize the skills I have learned in school to truly make a difference. I am excited to jump into working with the government and see how change really happens.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I would love to visit Osaka, Japan to go on a street food tour!

Anthony Xiang

Anthony is a rising junior at Stony Brook University majoring in Statistics and Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: As a Civic Digital Fellow, I can’t wait to work with important, one-of-a-kind datasets, solve government problems using technology, and connect with my highly-motivated peers. The opportunity to apply and enhance my technological skills while doing impactful work is really exciting!

Q: What is your favorite thing about technology, and why?

A: In the broader sense of the word, technology allows us to develop all the things that surround us. They make our lives easier. In the more usual sense of the word, technology gives us the tools to build and innovate with little to no limitations. It always fascinates me that anyone with a laptop and time can build the “next big thing” or improve our way of life.

Catherine Du

Catherine is a rising junior at Carnegie Mellon University studying Information Systems.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to be a Fellow because I’m passionate about using technology to help people. I’m looking forward to improving my technical skills while also making a direct impact on the American people.

Q: Who is the person you admire the most, and why?

A: Taylor Swift — I admire her inner strength, as well as her incredible talent.

Daniel Schnelbach

Daniel is a first-year Master’s student at Carnegie Mellon University studying Public Policy and Management.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am looking forward to using the summer to build on some technical skills while doing important work at the Census Bureau. I’m grateful for a chance to work alongside folks that have decided to dedicate their careers to big projects.

Q: Who is the person you admire the most, and why?

A: Anyone invested in their community. Communities are about people, and the ones that give their time — actual in-person time — deserve admiration.

Drishaan Jain

Drishaan is a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan studying Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am excited to gain hands-on experience with data science in delivering products that will save our government resources and benefit the American people. The opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team at the crossroads of policy and technology ties together two of my unique interests and provides me with an avenue to productively create positive change in our country.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I would love to visit Antarctica to see the penguins, polar bears, and glaciers, as well as better understand how global warming is affecting our planet.

Dylan Bragdon

Dylan is a recent graduate of the University of California, San Diego where he studied Cognitive Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to utilize my education to help other Fellows solve problems in the United States Government.

Q: What is your favorite thing about technology, and why?

A: My favorite thing about technology is watching how technological developments are taken up by humanity at large. The internet has so quickly ingrained itself into all of our lives that we could not have possibly prepared for the social implications, political impact, etc. of such a world-changing technology.

Elijah Tai

Elijah is a rising junior at Harvard College studying Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow so that I can apply CS and Statistics to make a positive impact on the country. I look forward to helping democratize data access with the Census Bureau this summer.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: A fun fact is that I can be so indecisive about picking restaurants that I created an Android app help pick for me! It takes into account price level, rating, and GPS location. It was a lot of fun to code. I’ve also worked on a few other (more worthy!) mobile applications. Let me know if you have a good app idea; I’d love to hear it!

Eliot Stanton

Eliot is a rising senior at Simmons University studying Data Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow because this program provides me with the opportunity to use my tech skills for the public good. I’ve always wanted to use data science to make an impact, and now I will be able to do so at the Census Bureau. I’m also excited to get to know my fellow Fellows and learn from them!

Q: Who is the person you admire the most, and why?

A: I’ve always admired my mom for her commitment to her career as a physician, but her response to covid-19 has been particularly inspiring. She has worked around the clock to guide her company’s protocols and ensure the safest possible working conditions for her colleagues. I hope to put that much energy and passion into my future career.

Elliott Tran

Elliott is a first-year Master’s student at Columbia University studying Quantitative Methods and Public Administration.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am excited to work with the U.S. Census Bureau during such a crucial year for the agency. This opportunity aligns perfectly with my interest in working at the intersection of technology and government. To me, social innovation and tech innovation must be one and the same for society to progress. I look forward to applying my data science skills, learning from field experts and connecting with an interdisciplinary and civic-minded cohort.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I would travel through Southeast Asia by the way of the Mekong River. I’ve never been to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand or Cambodia. Plus, it would not hurt to visit my relatives and friends in Vietnam at the end of the journey.

Evan Dong

Evan is a rising sophomore at Brown University studying Computer Science, Behavioral Decision Sciences, and Institutional Structure and Sustainable Systems.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m interested in applying my coding and tech skills toward societal good. As someone involved in social justice, I cannot separate my career from my societal impact. Working at the Census Bureau as a Civic Digital Fellow, I’ll be working on data linkages and handling both technical and policy concerns. This is a great way to bring my social consciousness into real problems in data science, privacy, and government work.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: I sing in a Disney-themed university a cappella group called Beauty and the Beats! It’s probably the most aggressively casual thing I’ve done in college, and we sing for children’s hospitals and elementary schools.

Gayatri Balasubramanian

Gayatri is a rising senior at Harvard College studying Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’ve always wanted to work for the government in a technical capacity that would help a lot of people, and I believe I’ll be able to do that in my CDF internship.

Jordan Graves

Jordan is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan where she studied Information Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow because of the opportunity to pursue mission-driven work in a federal agency. I see it as a great way to pursue my interest in technological innovation for social good by working to develop solutions for government problems while joining a community of like-minded technologists.

Q: What is your favorite thing about technology, and why?

A: While it definitely has the ability to amplify pre-existing biases in the world, my favorite thing about technology is that it also removes barriers to information profoundly changing how we interact with other people, transforming industries, and making the process of accessing new information easier.

Joshua Schmidt

Joshua is a rising senior at Stevens Institute of Technology studying Computer Engineering.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am really excited at the opportunity to work with the Census Bureau. The projects that I will be working on will have a direct impact on many people across the country. I look forward to re-engineering the current infrastructure to increase the privacy, performance, and accessibility of internal datasets.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I love to travel, and there are so many places that I have not visited yet — eastern Europe, Asia, Iceland, Australia, Africa… But one place I realized recently I should visit is Shenzhen, China. It’s the hardware electronics capital of the world, with markets that have any component you can think of. It would be really awesome to tour some of the factories, and see how the parts are made.

Justin Bao

Justin is a rising junior at the University of Washington studying Computer Science and Biomedical & Health Informatics.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with technology and the capabilities it presents in solving the world’s problems. The Civic Digital Fellowship presents me with a unique position in which I can not only further explore technology and innovation but do so in a way where I can make an impact on my community and make discoveries in a scope beyond technology itself.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: At the University of Washington, I’m one of the Executive Organizers of DubHacks, the largest collegiate hackathon in the Pacific Northwest. The only thing I love more than technology is the ability to share technology with others, especially people who otherwise don’t have much exposure to technology. There’s nowhere else where I’ve felt so much raw ingenuity and positive energy!

Matthew Rose

Matthew is a rising senior at Duke University studying Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I’m excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow because I want to see how technology is used in the context of the federal government. I feel like I have a grasp on how big tech companies and startups function, but I’ve never experienced being a programmer in this setting before. I’m also really excited to be surrounded by people who want to use tech for social good.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: I’m currently building an app to help deliver cognitive behavioral therapy through the web and/or mobile devices. I’m trying to use machine learning and sentiment analysis to identify and reframe negative thought patterns to allow clinicians to more efficiently deliver CBT to patients. If you’re interested in learning more, feel free to reach out!

Muhammad Asghar

Muhammad is a recent graduate of CUNY Lehman College where he studied Computer Science and Math.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am excited to use my skills in the public sector, where my project will be used by millions of Americans. I hope to use my existing skills in data science and machine learning to develop a viable product that can be deployed which I have no experience in as of yet. Also, I can’t wait to meet people who don’t come from the hustle of NYC, it should be a different atmosphere but I hope their backgrounds can help me come up with ideas I wouldn’t normally think about.

Q: Who is the person you admire the most, and why?

A: Tom Scott is a YouTuber who makes trivial videos about computer science, linguistics, and anything else he finds neat. I admire his ability to talk in front of a camera about a niche thing most people aren’t aware of and can explain the situation as if he was telling it to a 5th grader. It is because of him and many other similar YouTube channels that I became interested in computer science and math.

Rohan Gupta

Rohan is a rising junior at Brown University studying Computer Science and Applied Mathematics-Economics.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: I am excited to apply my skills to improving and creating civic technology.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: My favorite dance style is bhangra.

Tia Thomson

Tia is a recent graduate of Northeastern University where she studied Design.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: As a strong proponent of human-centered design, I am really excited to unlock this immense potential to create social impact through the intersection of data and design at the Census Open Innovation Labs. I am also eager to learn from a multidisciplinary cohort of passionate and mission-driven peers, as well as from the amazing mentors involved in this program.

Q: Who is the person you admire the most, and why?

A: Ella Baker. She was a tireless civil rights and human rights activist who saw the huge potential that students and young people could have in grassroots organizing and movement-building. She was such a hero to the civil rights movement not only for her own organizing work, but also because she empowered others to get involved.

Emily (Yong Li) Dich

Yong Li Dich is a recent graduate of Harvard College where she studied Computer Science.

Q: Why are you excited to be a Civic Digital Fellow?

A: The idea of Coding it Forward and Civic Digital Fellowship drew me in, but the quality team, projects, and content convinced me to stay. I’m so excited to be a part of a community that genuinely and thoughtfully navigates the civic tech space. I’m looking forward to immersing myself in a civic minded project and learning about the current state of technology that underlies the U.S. government. Most importantly, it’ll be an incredible chance for me to explore an environment outside of what I typically know from the software engineering industry or academia.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: Diagon Alley to fulfill my childhood Harry Potter dreams. In more ‘realistic’ words, London, for the same reason!