Open to opportunities

Paula Cadena

@paulacadena

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Data Scientist skilled in machine learning and data analysis.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I am looking for a collaborative environment that values data-driven decision-making and offers opportunities for professional growth.

I am a dedicated Data Scientist with a strong foundation in computational analysis and public policy, holding a Master's degree from The University of Chicago. My academic journey has equipped me with a robust skill set in programming, machine learning, and data engineering, allowing me to tackle complex data challenges effectively.

Throughout my professional experience, I have successfully applied advanced statistical models and machine learning techniques to derive actionable insights from large datasets. At The University of Chicago, I contributed to peer-reviewed research by analyzing socioeconomic factors affecting early childhood development, while my internship at the Crime and Education Lab honed my skills in natural language processing and predictive modeling. I am passionate about using data to inform policy and drive positive change.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Research Assistant

Current

The University of Chicago Center for the Economics of Human

May 2024 - Present (1 year 2 months)

Applied logistic regression models in Stata/R to analyze longitudinal datasets (10,000+ observations), identifying socioeconomic factors impacting early childhood development. Designed mediation analysis frameworks to isolate the effects of family endowments vs. environmental factors, informing policy recommendations adopted by 3 state agencies.

Logistic Regression Stata R Data Analysis Policy Recommendations Python Data Validation

Data Analytics Intern

The University of Chicago Crime and Education Lab

Jul 2024 - Present (1 year)

Developed a Python-based NLP pipeline (NLTK, SpaCy) to extract unstructured data from 500+ PDF reports, uncovering district-level disparities in pandemic learning loss. Engineered a gradient boosting model (XGBoost) to predict student performance gaps, enabling targeted tutoring for 1,200+ students with 92% precision.

Python NLP NLTK SpaCy XGBoost Machine Learning Data Visualization Tableau Plotly

Graduate Teaching Assistant

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 6 months)

Guided 25 students weekly in person with course requests, office hours, and learning opportunities with code reviews and data analytics; fostered a collaborative learning environment with a focus on R and Python. Evaluated individual and group assignments for over 100 students, graded exams and final projects, and collaborated with a team of 5 TAs to design challenging data analysis questions for

R Python Data Analytics Code Review Teaching Mentoring

Data Integration Consultant

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace - Colombia

Aug 2023 - Present (1 year 11 months)

Led end-to-end ETL pipeline development (Python, Pandas) to migrate 1.48TB of legal data, standardizing metadata and reducing manual errors by 40%. Built a React.js search interface integrated with PowerApps, slashing file retrieval time by 60% for 30+ legal teams handling 50,000+ victim cases.

ETL Python Pandas React SQL Power BI Data Governance GDPR

Senior Data Analyst

Bogota Chamber of Commerce

Feb 2022 - Present (3 years 5 months)

Deployed a machine learning classifier (Random Forest, Scikit-learn) to segment 2M+ companies, achieving 85% test accuracy and reducing manual segmentation effort by 50%. Designed real-time Power BI dashboards tracking 20+ KPIs, enabling 60+ stakeholders to monitor program performance and adjust strategies.

Machine Learning Random Forest scikit learn Power BI Python Data Migration Mentoring Data Analysis

Academic Manager of Postgraduate Programs

University of Los Andes Department of Economics

Feb 2020 - Present (5 years 5 months)

Automated document generation workflows (Power Automate, Python), reducing manual steps from 9 to 3 and cutting response time by 50%. Integrated SQL databases with student portals, enabling real-time tracking of academic progress for 350+ students.

Power Automate Python SQL R Data Literacy SharePoint)Data Integration

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

The University of Chicago

Master of Science, Computational Analysis and Public Policy

Activities and societies: Relevant Coursework: Computer Science I & II, Machine Learning, Databases, Cloud Computing, Web Development

Relevant coursework included Computer Science I & II, Machine Learning, Databases, Cloud Computing, and Web Development. This program focused on computational analysis and public policy.