Eric R. Xu, Ph.D.
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๐ง ๐ Brain Waves โ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ป Data Lakes
One of the most impactful lessons I learned in graduate school was from my professor, who told me, "Let the data tell you the story." At the time, I struggled to understand my experimental data, which diverged from my original hypothesis. He emphasized the importance of measurement controls and taking reviewer feedback seriously when drawing conclusions. I admired his dedication to data integrity and his willingness to publish negative results as long as they told a coherent story.
Fast forward to today, data-driven decision-making has become the cornerstone of our society. I believe we all have a responsibility to ensure data proliferation is accompanied by proper data hygiene, including deduplication, effective control measures, and unbiased analysis. Realizing I could make a broader impact, I transitioned into data science, completing a program with Kaplan's Metis. Since 2015, a year after earning my Ph.D. from Dartmouth College in Psychological and Brain Sciences, I've been working in industry. I have over eight years of experience developing sound big data measurement solutions with diverse teams in software engineering, sales, law, and safety teams. I play well with others ๐ค๐ค๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ.
I'm passionate about technology, automation, data semantics/lineage/ontology, and using data to reduce bias and enhance learning and fun. Python and SQL are my bread and butter, and I stay current with the latest ML tools, theories, and best practices with online courses and podcasts. In November 2024, I completed a a 12-week Data Science and ML course from the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) where I gained hands on case study experience using the latest effective machine learning techniques to solve common industry challenges. In February 2025, I joined a 6-month MIT xPRO Game Design program because I enjoy the experiential and agentic storytelling and the social fun of games like mahjong. I also believe that how we interact with technology really shapes how we connect and learn. I've slowly been drawn to gamification and user experience throughout the years and would love to learn more.
