A practical route into AI implementation
I am Wuhao Xia, an MPA candidate in Data Science for Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. I expect to graduate in May 2027.
My experience spans international development research, consulting, business analysis, and data science. It has taught me to look beyond whether a model works in isolation: where it fits in a workflow, what evidence a user needs, how quality is judged, and when a person should take over.
I am pursuing roles in AI adoption and implementation, AI strategy consulting, and applied data science or business analytics.
What I contribute
Problem framing across functions
I translate business or policy requirements into the data, software, and review process needed to address them.
Hands-on implementation
I work directly in Python, SQL, analytical models, data pipelines, and lightweight applications rather than stopping at a recommendation.
Evidence-aware judgment
I define baselines, inspect uncertainty, and distinguish measured results from projections and design intent.
Education
- Columbia University
- Master of Public Administration
Data Science for Policy concentration - University of Florida
- Bachelor of Science in Information Systems
Minor in Economics
Selected experience
- World Bank Group
- AI-enabled research workflows, evidence review, and cross-country regulatory analysis
- Bain & Company
- Industry, digital infrastructure, product, and regulatory research
- Capgemini
- Business analysis, data processing, forecasting, and workflow design
- Siemens
- Commercial analytics, forecasting, and automated reporting