About

Crowd Flow Team

The Fellows

Apoorva Sheera

Apoorva is a Master in Data Science student at the University of Washington. Her research interests include evaluation of generative models, with a focus on computer vision. She is especially interested in investigating social biases in new-age generative models and using machine learning techniques to create safeguards against them. This interest prompted her to join the DSSG fellowship, where she is working on measuring fairness and equity in crowd-flow generation models. Prior to this, she worked as a Management Consultant with McKinsey & Co., leading digital transformation and strategy projects across Life Sciences, Healthcare, and Agriculture. She has a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Literature from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

Jiaqi(Kiki) He

Jiaqi He (Kiki) is a Master’s in Information Management student at the University of Washington, driven by a passion for leveraging data science and machine learning to tackle contemporary challenges and enhance accessible technologies. Fascinated by the power of data, she aims to contribute to society through her expertise. Thrilled to join this program, she sees it as a valuable opportunity to address real-world social issues and enhance her skills in machine learning, data analysis, and programming while collaborating with a diverse team. Having benefited from open-source projects, she looks forward to contributing to the community, providing valuable tools and insights that promote fairness and equity in generative crowd-flow models and beyond.

Manurag Khullar

Manurag Khullar is a Scientific Computing graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, focused on developing ML models at the intersection of science and mathematics to create significant social impact. With a diverse background in engineering and liberal arts, he combines a solid quantitative foundation with an understanding of ethical complexities. Outside of his studies, Manurag enjoys blending Indian cuisine with other culinary traditions, exploring museums worldwide, and spending summers trekking and participating in water sports in the Himalayas. He also finds reading about astronomy humbling, appreciating the vastness of the universe and the limits of our knowledge.

Sakshi Chavan

Sakshi Vinayak Chavan, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is focused on driving social change through data science. Pursuing a Master’s in Information with a focus on UX experience, she combines skills in data analysis and UX design. With a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, she is proficient in various programming languages and design tools like Figma and Adobe XD. Her projects, such as a Voice-Based Emailing System for the Disabled, blend technical skills with user-centered design. Active in community service, she supports transgender individuals and promotes mental health awareness. In the UW DSSG program, she applies her skills to impactful projects and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to address societal challenges.

Project Leads

Afra Mashhadi

As of September 2019, Afra serves as an Assistant Professor of Computer Software and Systems at the University of Washington, Bothell. She is a researcher, educator, and advocate for ethics and diversity in computing. Afra is also affiliated with the RAISE center, a newly funded initiative focused on Responsible AI Systems. In addition, she holds an adjunct assistant professorship at the Information School, University of Washington, Seattle. Afra’s upcoming talks and courses on these topics are highly anticipated.

Ekin Ugurel

Ekin is a PhD student at the University of Washington in Seattle, co-advised by Professor Cynthia Chen (CEE) and Professor Shuai Huang (ISE). Supported by the College of Engineering Dean’s Fellowship, his research focuses on non-parametric, data-driven modeling of human mobility data and the application of machine learning frameworks for this purpose. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Ekin attended high school in Texas and earned his engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. In his free time, he enjoys team sports and exploring the natural beauty of Washington. Introduced to DSSG by Professor Afra Mashhadi, Ekin is eager to contribute to the field of mobility analytics and explore its implications in related domains.

Data Scientist

Bernease Herman

Bernease Herman has joined the eScience Institute as a Data Scientist. Most recently, she served as a Software Development Engineer at Amazon, where she collaborated with operations research scientists and statisticians to incorporate economic constraints and buying models into Amazon’s Inventory Planning and Control system. Prior to her tenure at Amazon, Bernease worked on derivatives pricing and predictive modeling at the research arm of Morgan Stanley. She holds a BS in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Michigan.