(Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of stories highlighting College of Information Sciences and Technology students and their summer internships and professional development experiences.)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Parker Kirby has had a strong passion for data science since he stepped foot on Penn State’s campus three years ago. To date, most of Kirby’s exposure has been exclusively in class experiences in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). This summer, he had the opportunity to gain hands-on industry training and gain more experience as a data scientist or analyst through his internship with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) — the world’s largest information privacy organization.
“I was looking for something close to home that would give me the experiences I desired, and I found the perfect position at the IAPP,” said Kirby, a senior studying data science.
Working as a data science intern, Kirby has spent the summer working in Portsmouth, New Hampshire documenting internal data usage in order to comply with privacy laws. He has been keeping track of what personal information is collected from both customers and employees in all the software used companywide.
“This project is very cool because I get to communicate and work with all different departments within the company,” Kirby said.
One component of the job that Kirby especially enjoys is generating data analytics reports for internal sales and marketing teams, which use the provided numbers and information in their operations.
“I love seeing how the analytics that we run can inform business decisions,” Kirby said.
Kirby is learning a lot on the job, but also felt extremely prepared for the role thanks to Penn State. At IST, he had learned about the software and coding languages he works with at IAPP and has also gained problem-solving skills to help him tackle unique issues that arise on the job.
“When I’m faced with a new problem, I know that I have the tools to be able to work it out,” Kirby said.
Likewise, his summer work is enriching his overall educational experience as he prepares to search for data science jobs after graduation.
“This internship is giving me a lot more experience with real-world scenarios and practicing how to apply the skills that I have already learned in class,” Kirby said. “I will be able to bring these lessons into my final year as a student and into whatever is next for me after college.”