Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, announced today it has become a Founding Industry Partner for the Hal?c?o?lu 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 connects with virtually every academic discipline to train students and engage with faculty in the most 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."
Data science, machine learning, and predictive analytics have become more critical for Viasat as the Company grows globally. Analyzing data helps the Company better understand how its satellite-enabled connectivity services are performing; how the quality of customers' experiences is evolving and helps inform Viasat's business and marketing strategies, among other initiatives.
"HDSI is proud to call Viasat a Founding Industry Partner. We are both pioneers across many of the fields that have contributed to the dynamic field of data science today," said Rajesh Gupta, HDSI director. "Viasat's generous gift will help prepare the next generation of data science leaders. We are avid believers that partnerships with the Institute at UC San Diego will offer great opportunities by teaming experts in the latest methods and tools of data science and related research, with the real-world needs of industry leaders like Viasat."
Through this collaboration, HDSI and Viasat hope to highlight new opportunities for data scientists, data engineers and experts with important foundational knowledge in such powerful tools as machine learning and artificial intelligence, as well as provide the necessary skills and thinking to extract critical insights from mountains of data to make a positive impact on society and the economy.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
