Professional Work

SDSO - Student Worker

Student Worker @ San Diego Sheriff’s Office

February 2024 - Present

  • Identified patterns and anomalies in large, continuously growing text datasets by leveraging text machine learning techniques, Regex, Python, Pandas, and SQL.
  • Streamlined data processing by developing Azure-based pipelines to clean data incrementally, conduct sentiment analysis, and perform clustering, reducing manual effort by 90%.
  • Delivered actionable insights through PowerBI reports, enabling stakeholders and users to identify trends and anomalies across employees and text data, leading to improvement in operational efficiency.
  • Enhanced user satisfaction by collaborating with end-users to customize applications and ensure alignment with business requirements.
  • Communicated findings effectively through presentations, driving informed decision-making and cross-team alignment.

HDSI - Instructional Assistant

Data Science Instructional Assistant @ Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute

March 2023 - March 2025

  • Enhanced student performance and engagement by hosting office hours twice a week and creating 5+ educational videos and examples, leading to improved class comprehension and higher assignment scores.
  • Streamlined grading processes by transferring 300+ grades across platforms and using tools like Gradescope and Canvas, reducing errors and improving feedback turnaround time.
  • Improved assignment quality and exam rigor by developing midterm materials and grading assignments for 200+ students, ensuring alignment with learning objectives.
  • Elevated team effectiveness by mentoring 3 new tutors and attending weekly staff meetings, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.
  • Achieved consistent resolution of forum inquiries, answering 10+ questions weekly to clarify complex concepts in Python, Java, Pandas, and NumPy.
💬 Standout Comments from Students
  • “SO friendly and kind and warm and encouraging- this particularly was so important in a rigorous class like DSC 40A where students (like myself) began to feel unsure/scared and fall behind. Zoe’s genuine care about the students and passion for teaching was such a standout of this quarter. Not only was she very knowledgeable and explain things in a clear way, but she also gave constant encouragement and went above and beyond in reaching out to students and getting to know them and their academic needs on an individual level.” (DSC40A, Spring 2024)
  • “THE ABSOLUTE GOAT. Zoe is hands down the best tutor of any of the DSC20 staff. A lot of tutors have to refer back to the answer key to solve problems, Zoe helps you brainstorm and work through them and doesn’t need the answer key because she knows the material so well and is incredibly smart. She is also the nicest person ever and someone I felt very comfortable getting help from, she never made me feel stupid and created such a welcoming environment.” (DSC20, Winter 2024)
  • “Zoe is so caring and intelligent! Her biweekly office hours were the ones I made sure to attend regularly since she has been the sole tutor who will actually walk me through my errors during the debugging process in a manner that allows me to grasp from my mistakes the difficult concepts covered in class. Her support is a vital part of any success I’ve had thus far, so I’m very grateful!” (DSC 30, Fall 2023)

📂 Full Reviews & Reports:

Note: To protect student anonymity if there were not enough evaluations for the class I was unable to see feedback.

Volunteering & Extracurriculars

DS3 - Prof. Events Director

Professional Events Director @ Data Science Student Society

May 2024 - Present

  • Curating and hosting a diverse range of professional events, including panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions with industry partners.
  • Building and maintaining professional relationships with sponsors, panelists, and speakers.
  • Exposing students to the diverse sectors of the data science field and providing them with a comprehensive understanding of industry applications and career pathways.
  • Led a team of 8 individuals with co-director Sid Joshi to provide a better experience for UCSD’s student body.

HKN - Social Chair

Social Chair @ Eta Kappa Nu

March 2023 - August 2024

  • Eta Kappa Nu, or HKN, is the official honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. I am still a member to this day, but no longer hold a board position!
  • Secured funding and enhanced event impact by attending weekly meetings with officers and UCSD departments, resulting in a 20% increase in event attendance year-over-year.
  • Organized and executed campus-wide events by collaborating with diverse teams, meeting tight deadlines, and adapting to high-pressure environments, ensuring seamless delivery and positive attendee feedback.
  • Improved event growth and engagement by providing actionable feedback to stakeholders, leading to the implementation of new initiatives that increased student participation by 15%.

E4E - Volunteer

Research Volunteer @ Engineers for Exploration

October 2022 - June 2023

  • Part of the Acoustic Species Identification team. Partnered with the San Diego Zoo in an effort to monitor bird populations in the Peruvian Amazon.
  • Strengthened cross-team communication and feedback loops, ensuring project goals were met on time and aligned with researchers’ needs.
  • Improved species population monitoring by organizing and filtering research data using Python and GitHub, increasing data accessibility and analysis.