Data Science Decoded: The Academia vs Industry Showdown with Marco Morales

The Harvard Business Review once called data science the “sexiest job in the 21st century.” A decade later, a significant gap exists between academic training and the practical demands of data science in business. Educational programs focus heavily on technical skills without preparing students for real-world challenges.

Marco Morales, a seasoned professional, has spent the last decade at the intersection of business and technology, leading data science initiatives in media and entertainment. Marco explains why tech leaders should care about this gap and offers actionable steps, such as dedicated data science internships, to help new graduates transition smoothly into the industry.

Marco emphasizes the importance of upskilling data scientists to collaborate effectively with non-technical stakeholders in a typical business setting.

Tune in to learn key methodologies and best practices for building impactful data products and mitigating the experience gap for new data scientists entering the workforce.

“As a tech leader, you’ll find that people don't usually hit the ground running. There's a learning curve, and it's a cost that any company ends up incurring for getting people ready to be contributing as data scientists.” ~ Marco Morales

In This Episode:

- Marco Morales’ background and experience in data science 

- The gap between academic and business data science

- The challenges in applying academic data science

- Problem-solving in a controlled academic setting vs in the real world

- Teaching data scientists to collaborate with other specialized professionals 

- Best practices for data science in business

- How tech leaders can mitigate the gap

And much more!

Connect with Marco Morales:

- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcomoralesbarba 

Connect with Debbie Madden:

- Website - https://www.stride.build/

- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/

- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/