University of Houston-Victoria student Vishnu Makkapati is making great strides in the field of data science.

Hailing from Sugar Land, Makkapati is coming into his final semester at UHV and is expected to graduate this spring with a Master of Science in data science. Previously, he had received a Bachelor of Science in healthcare management from the University of Texas at Dallas.

As he prepares for graduation, Makkapati has also spent the last couple of weeks busy as a data science intern at BKO AI, a premier IT consulting firm known for its state-of-the-art artificial intelligence solution tailored for Houston’s oil and gas industry.

Vishnu Makkapati

“This internship has really solidified my interest in pursuing a career in data science,” Makkapati said. “I’m learning so many tools and techniques, and overall, it’s been very rewarding.”

As an intern, Makkapati is tasked with deploying machine learning algorithms to make sophisticated statistical analyses on engineering datasets, crafting custom models to seamlessly align with the distinct business objectives of the firm’s clientele.

“Keeping up with the latest innovations and trends in the field is definitely one of the biggest challenges, but it also what makes this field so engaging,” he said. “I’m constantly being shown new libraries, algorithms and approaches that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with data.”

His love for data science began when he started to take courses related to SQL, a language used to manage data, while at UHV. The courses become engaging to him, and he ultimately switched over to data science to learn more about it and find ways to make more tools related to SQL.

Hardik Gohel

"Vishnu Makkapati has been an outstanding student at the UHV Applied AI research lab for the past year, inspiring his fellow students with his technical expertise and dedication,” said Hardik Gohel, UHV associate professor in the College of Natural & Applied Science. “He has explored the deep learning domain extensively, even developing a spatio-temporal model for environmental remediation solutions as part of our DoE-EM research. Vishnu’s remarkable performance during his research assistantship has set a high standard for others in the lab. We are thrilled to see him excel further in his internship at BKO AI, a Houston-based company specializing in custom AI solutions for optimizing the oil, gas, and energy industries. At the UHV Applied AI Lab, we are proud to prepare students like Vishnu to lead in the ever-evolving fields of AI and machine learning."

Looking ahead to his future, Makkapati said he hopes to continue advancing his skills in data science and eventually transition into a senior-level role where he can share his knowledge and expertise with others. But for now, the graduate student said he is making the most of his time at UHV and soaking up as much as he can from his internship experience. Looking back, Makkapati said he chose UHV for its relatively new data science program, which stood out to him in terms of the curriculum and learning opportunities, he said.

“UHV has been a great fit for me,” Makkapati said. “I am so grateful for the chance to apply what I learned in the classroom in a real-world environment.”

For those who would like to learn more about the MS in data science program at UHV and opportunities with the Applied AI research laboratory, please contact Dr. Hardik Gohel at gohelh@uhv.edu.