UC San Diego. Photo: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

Viasat became a founding industry partner for the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI), the hub for data science at the University of California San Diego. As a founding industry partner, Viasat will make a contribution to the HDSI, helping to shape the educational degree programs, as well as assist in the development of translational programs ranging from short-term training programs to longer-term engagements with industry developing data science-engineered solutions.

As a new independent institute at UC San Diego, the year-old HDSI aims to connect with virtually every academic discipline to train students and engage with faculty in effective techniques, and to transform massive amounts of data generated from research across the institution.

“Data science and analytics are critical to Viasat’s success and continued growth,” said Kristi Jaska, vice president of Engineering at Viasat. “We’re thoughtfully making investments in data science and human-centered design to shift how we design products, operate our services and evolve our approach to customer engagement. By investing in UC San Diego’s HDSI initiative, we have an opportunity to raise students’ interests in data science disciplines, and to increase both the number and the quality of new graduates in these fields.”