David Steinmetz, Machine Learning Engineer at Capital One

David Steinmetz: I studied materials science, which is a blend of math, physics, and chemistry. I noticed that programming was integral to solving many of the materials science problems, which also tended to be steeped in sophisticated math. I used a genetic algorithm during my undergrad and a particle swarm algorithm during my PhD. After I graduated, I joined a management consultancy and learned about business and data analysis at companies. That background coupled with a genuine interest in computers naturally led to data science.