The 2026 Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) program has been made possible with the support from the UBC Faculty of Science, UBC Career Centre, and CIFAR, and through project partnerships with Covenant House Vancouver, YMCA BC, Sustainable MAterials Lab in the UBC Faculty of Applied Science, and the University of Hong Kong.
2026 Fellows
Dennis Chiu (he/him)
Dennis is a student in the Bachelor of Computer Science program with a background in Animal Biology. Before transitioning into Computer Science, Dennis worked in a life science research laboratory as a data analyst to understand insect population trends in BC blueberry farms. Afterwards, Dennis has interned as a software developer in organizations such as Tochtech Technologies and Visier, where he gained a passion for data visualization and data quality in software applications.
By joining the DSSG program, Dennis looks forward to developing new data science skills, working on meaningful projects, and making a positive impact to the community. Outside of work and academics, he enjoys snowboarding, playing basketball, and trying new food spots!
Khue Do (she/her)
Khue is graduating with a degree majoring in statistics. Throughout her co-op, she has gained practical experience in working with data, such as transforming data, building machine-learning models, creating visualizations, and automating workflow. This has deepened her passion for developing data-driven insights across various disciplines.
During the DSSG program, Khue is excited to expand her current knowledge and technical skills, and apply it to impactful projects that motivate societal change. In her free time, Khue enjoys journaling, taking long walks around the city, and cooking.
Jerry Gai (he/him)
Jerry is entering his final year at UBC, where he studies Computer Science and Statistics. He is interested in machine learning, statistics, and finding ways to use data science to tackle real-world problems. During his research internship at the Genome Institute of Singapore, he worked with large-scale genomic data and helped build statistical and deep learning models for early cancer detection. He has also been involved in computer vision research at UBC and has worked as a teaching assistant in mathematics and economics. Jerry enjoys building practical data-driven tools and was part of the team that won first place at the UBC CIC x AWS Hackathon for a sustainability-focused project. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton, snowboarding, watching soccer, and reading.
Through the DSSG program, he hopes to work on meaningful projects, learn from teammates and community partners, and deepen his understanding of how data science can be used for social good.
Shaam Jayakumaran (he/him)
Shaam is in his fourth year at UBC, pursuing a dual degree in Statistics and Management. He is currently a Residence Advisor at Totem Park, an Agricultural
Researcher with the UBC Agrobot Design Team, and serves as VP Events for the UBC AMS Data Science Club. His interests lie in machine learning, statistical
modeling, and data visualization, particularly in applying these methods to real-world problems.
As a DSSG Fellow, Shaam is excited to expand his data science skillset over the summer and work on problems where the impact extends beyond model performance, building solutions that are thoughtful, interpretable, and genuinely useful. Outside of academics, he can usually be found playing cricket or basketball, or on the hunt for the best biryani in Vancouver!
Lisa Li (she/her)
Lisa is in her final year of her B.A. in Psychology (Honours) program. She has been involved in a variety of research across the Psychology and Psychiatry departments at UBC. She plans on pursuing graduate school to become a clinician-researcher in the mental health field!
Aside from her interests in mental health, Lisa also enjoyed electives in mathematics and data science during her undergrad, which prompted her to apply for the DSSG program. She hopes to learn more about how data science can be used in the social sciences to generate new insights, solve problems creatively, and to create real-world impact.
She is also excited to meet others who share the same (or different) passions! In her free time, Lisa has been trying new recipes recently. She also likes to sing and play the piano, go out on photo walks, and spend time with closed ones.
Aishah Olopade (she/her)
Aishah is entering her fourth year studying Computer Science at UBC, with a strong interest in applying data science and machine learning to real-world social challenges. She has experience in data analysis and modeling through coursework and projects, including health-related applications such as heart disease and Parkinson’s disease prediction.
Her work has sparked a broader interest in using AI and machine learning to support more equitable, data-driven decision-making in areas such as healthcare, education, and underserved communities.
Through the DSSG program, Aishah looks forward to strengthening her technical skills and collaborating with like-minded peers on projects that create meaningful impact. Outside of academics, she enjoys movies, concerts, and spending time at the beach with friends.
Chi Pham (she/her)
Chi is graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a minor in Data Science. During her undergraduate studies, she gained professional experience across diverse industries through internships at the Canadian Space
Agency, Citibank, Clio, and Goldman Sachs. Here, she worked on data-focused projects across analytics and software development. She has also been involved in multiple research projects focusing on human health and currently volunteers with the DigiMSK team.
She is interested in working with data to solve problems with meaningful human impact. As a DSSG fellow, she is excited to contribute to projects with realworld applications and engage with peers who share the same mindset. This summer, Chi is looking forward to classic Vancouver activities such as going on hikes and runs, as well as playing pickleball and spending time with friends.
Lilit Vanyan (she/her)
Lilit is entering her fourth year at UBC studying Computer Science with a minor in Data Science. Previously, she worked as a software engineer on the Amazon Web Services’ RDS team and at a startup developing a medical communication
platform. Through datathons and similar competitions, she discovered how much she enjoys working with data on real-world problems, which sparked her interest in data science and machine learning, especially in research on building systems that are trustworthy and responsible.
Beyond academics, she stays very involved in the tech community at UBC. She works on the marketing team at nwPlus, the student organization behind Western Canada’s largest hackathons, where she focuses on social media content and branding. She is also part of the sponsorship team at Women in Data Science, helping secure partnerships that support events and initiatives aimed at making tech a more inclusive space.
Through the DSSG program, she hopes to learn a lot, meet interesting people, and have a memorable summer.