Spring Into a Career In Data Science – Spotlight on Presenter Jesse Spencer-Smith, PhD
Dr. Jesse Spencer-Smith is the Chief Data Scientist and Interim Director of the Data Science Institute (DSI) at Vanderbilt University, as well as a Professor of the Practice of Computer Science. He leads a team of data scientists, postdocs, and researchers, collaborating across academia, healthcare, and industry to advance AI and data-driven insights.
With a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Science from Indiana University and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Florida, Dr. Spencer-Smith has a unique interdisciplinary background spanning AI, quantitative methods, and applied analytics. Previously, he served as Director of Data Science at HCA Healthcare, where he built the company’s first data science team and spearheaded AI integration across the enterprise. He has also held academic positions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and was a Beckman Fellow at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
A sought-after speaker, Dr. Spencer-Smith has presented on AI at national academic, industry, and government conferences and has published work on AI applications in fields ranging from astrophysics to healthcare.