In this episode, I'm speaking with Lee Harper, Principal Data Scientist at Catapult Systems. Lee holds a Ph.D. in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry. Lee is a teacher-turned-data scientist. We cover the various entry paths into the world of data science, the value of background diversity, security in ML production, and even AI fairness.  

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Timestamps: 

• 00:00 Podcast intro 
• 01:00 Guest introduction 
• 01:39 How did you get into the fields of data science and machine learning? 
• 05:04 Coding boot camps vs. academia & diversity of backgrounds in ML 
• 09:37 How does the process of bringing your work into production change over the years? 
• 13:02 How has the change in the languages used for data science affected production processes? 
• 16:01 How do you accelerate the timeframes for getting from POC to production in ML? 
• 18:19 Do data scientists reinvent the wheel more often than software developers, and why? 
• 22:14 The value of learning how to Google 
• 23:00 Recurring themes, challenges, and common issues in data science 
• 27:50 Solving for security in ML in production 
• 31:57 ML security considerations for startups 
• 34:30 Data security considerations in ML 
• 35:18 What is the most interesting topic in machine learning right now? 
• 38:05 ML fairness, bias, and responsible AI 
• 41:44 What does it mean to build a fair or unbiased model? 
• 47:15 If you had to choose one challenge in bringing models to production, what would it be? 
• 51:00 What are the tools and processes that you use to make the transition to production easier? 
• 55:35 About "vendor lock-in" 
• 58:00 Your favorite tool recommendations 
• 1:03:35 Recommendations for the audience 

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Relevant Links: 

• Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible – https://www.amazon.com/Linux-Command-Shell-Scripting-Bible/dp/1119700914
• Project Hail Mary – https://www.amazon.com/Project-Hail-Mary-Andy-Weir/dp/0593135202 

Social Links: 

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/dagshub/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/catapult-systems/
  
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeharper2425/
• https://twitter.com/DeanPlbn
• https://twitter.com/TheRealDAGsHub