Spotlight on emily gamboa
MEET UTSI’S LEAKGEEK DATA SCIENTIST
How long have you been working with UTSI?
I have been working with UTSI since late July/early August.
Describe your role and area of expertise.
I’m a data science consultant specializing in data visualization and project management. At its heart, that means I spend my days in dialogue with information. My work draws on technical skill, but what makes it powerful is how that skill opens space for conversation—bringing the answers into focus while also shaping the atmosphere for people to engage with them.
Why did you choose data science as a career?
I chose data science because it feels alive in a way no other work has. I’ve already mentioned how, to me, it’s closest to a conversation. You push, it pushes back. You pause, and it shows you something you weren’t looking for. Over time, you learn to hear its rhythm—at first awkward, later instinctive, like the way music eventually moves through your hands without thought. That sense of dialogue, of being pulled into a living exchange, is what keeps me here.
What role does AI play in data science and what are the advantages and disadvantages?
AI’s role in data science is often framed in extremes, but the reality sits somewhere in between. I don’t see it as a stand-in for human thinking, and it’s definitely not the magic button people sometimes hope for. To me, it’s more like a dial. It softens the noise of the repetitive—endless scrubbing, cleaning, or *insert tedious work here*—so there’s more time for the parts that call for judgment and artistry.
That said, the same dial can amplify risk. Bias in the training data grows louder, overreliance dulls instinct, and speed tempts us to skip the slow work of questioning what we see. I think about AI the way earlier generations must have thought about spreadsheets when they first hit finance or search engines when they began reshaping how we search for information. Both were disruptive, each unlocked new possibilities, neither replaced the need for human insight. AI makes us faster and louder, but it’s our judgment that decides whether that’s progress or just noise.
What is the biggest impact on data visualization?
For me, the biggest impact of data visualization is its ability to move people. Too often it’s seen as nothing more than a way to make complex information easier to digest, but that view overlooks its most essential responsibility: to create meaning and experience. I see data as a medium, something to be shaped with care so it carries both clarity and presence. Even the simplest visual has its own character, a voice that shapes how information is felt and remembered. Done well, it allows ideas to hold importance long after being seen. Visualization is where analysis becomes story, and story becomes change.
Favorite project you’ve worked on and why?
One of the most memorable projects I’ve worked on was a public installation that translated live city data into light and motion. We pulled streams like public transportation ridership, bike share usage, and noise levels into an interactive sculpture as part of an initiative to tackle transit overcrowding and late-night safety. By making congestion visible in real time, the piece gave planners a way to test changes—like adjusting train frequency or relocating bike docks—and immediately see their effects play out in the city’s rhythms. It began as a project for public engagement but evolved into a practical tool, revealing gaps in scheduling models and helping shape decisions that improved both rider safety and system efficiency.
What is your top professional aspiration?
When I think about my top professional aspiration, I picture myself decades from now looking back on a career full of work that was both exciting to me and meaningful for others. Those two tenets are my North Star, and I am building my career by only taking on work that aligns with them. On the rough days (of which there are plenty), I remind myself of the legacy I am striving for: a career where the work I poured myself into left behind opportunities and change that outlived me.
Who has been your biggest influence in your career?
Definitely Shaun Six, my new boss! That’s how you pass this question, right?
In reality, the biggest influences in my career have been my parents. Both of them have a relentless work ethic, but they’ve shown me much more than grit alone. My dad never treated me as anything less than capable, which instilled in me a lasting belief in my own ability. As a young woman in STEM, I carry this lesson with me always. My mother taught me that my creativity and tenacity are the greatest tools at my disposal, and with them I am never confined to a single path. From both, I learned that success doesn’t look the same for everyone—there are countless routes, each wildly different, yet all within reach. They’ve guided not only how I see my work in data science, but also the kind of impact I hope to leave behind.
So shout out to Dr. and Mrs. Gamboa–the two of you are forever my heroes, my inspiration, and my home.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
I absolutely adore writing and am currently working on my first novel!
What is your favorite quote?
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”- Jane Goodall
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”- Eleanor Roosevelt