Alumni Spotlight: Alumna’s Mission to Grow Promising Businesses Through the Power of Data – Vyjayanthi Kamath, MIM ‘20
Vyjayanthi Kamath, MIM ’20, became increasingly captivated by the intersection of data, marketing, and product development after watching Hans Rosling's compelling 4-minute video on international economics and healthcare.
Vyjayanthi Kamath, MIM ’20, became increasingly captivated by the intersection of data, marketing, and product development after watching Hans Rosling’s compelling 4-minute video on international economics and healthcare. Driven by Rosling’s work in data visualization in conjunction with her prior professional experience in information technology, Vyjayanthi was drawn to the array of opportunities afforded by the Master of Information Management (MIM) program at the College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool).
“Within MIM, I learnt basic and advanced concepts within the technical space of data (data science and engineering) and it helped me prepare for end-to-end execution and ownership of projects.”
Along with her specialized MIM coursework in statistics, data science, and project management, Vyjayanthi worked as a campus data science intern during her first year and participated in various Hackathons and competitions, including the UMD Data Challenge. She was awarded an iSchool scholarship to attend the 2019 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, the largest gathering of women technologists, in Orlando, FL where she was able to connect with various organizations and attendees across different technology sectors.
Upon graduating from the MIM program in 2020, Vyjayanthi began her new career in data at IQ Solutions as a Data Analyst. She supported several public health contracts under the National Institute of Health(NIH) to improve NIH’s web traffic, marketing processes, and inventory system management.
Currently, Vyjayanthi works at BLEND360 as a Marketing Analyst where she conducts data analyses on media marketing efforts, studies customer retention and acquisition, and assesses new business initiatives and opportunities. While she frequently uses her technical knowledge of data analysis and programming languages for data manipulation, specifically R/Python and Tableau, in her day-to-day work, she continues to strive towards a career centered around the business side of data.
For students interested in data and marketing analytics, Vyjayanthi notes that it’s advantageous to acquire a sense of business intelligence to effectively communicate how data helps to meet business goals and to “read up on real-world companies on how they make their money, the types of marketing and outreach they conduct, and what goals are important for them.” She also stresses the significance of connecting with industry professionals who share similar interests while navigating a career in data and marketing analytics.
Outside of work, Vyjayanthi has taken time to perfect her cooking skills and catch up on her collection of suspense, thriller, and drama novels. When given the chance, Vyjayanthi is also an avid traveler who has traveled across India, Europe, and the UK. Her favorite place to visit is Leh, India.