Where are they now? Ryan Zhao
MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2024
While completing his Master of Science in Management Information Systems at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, Ryan Zhao became deeply interested in the power of language to capture user opinions and behaviors as well as the potential business value embedded in user-generated content such as online reviews and social media posts.
After completing his master’s, Zhao was eager to explore the intersection of linguistics and machine learning. This led Zhao to UBC’s Master of Data Science (MDS) in Computational Linguistics program.
“The UBC MDS Computational Linguistics program was the ideal opportunity to develop the skills needed to apply machine learning techniques to extract insights from textual data and build language-driven business tools,” said Zhao.
What attracted Zhao most the MDS Computational Linguistics program was its strong reputation, excellent job placement record, and 10-month length, which allowed him to build data science skills in a short period. “The opportunity to study in Vancouver—one of the most beautiful cities in the world—was an added bonus.”
In addition, MDS Computational Linguistics’ curriculum with its strong focus on cutting-edge NLP techniques offered the combination of theoretical foundation and practical skills that Zhao was looking for.
After completing the MDS Computational Linguistics program, Zhao is now pursuing a PhD in Information Systems at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington.
“Building on my background in business and the technical skills I gained from the MDS Computational Linguistics program, I wanted to further explore how machine learning and NLP can drive business innovation and create real-world value,” explained Zhao on why he wanted to further his education with a PhD.
In addition, Zhao discovered that earning his MDS Computational Linguistics degree from UBC was helpful during his PhD application process. “The skills I developed through the MDS Computational Linguistics courses, the hands-on experience from projects and the capstone, and the research I conducted with MDS Computational Linguistics faculty were all highly valued by the programs I applied to.”
During his time in the MDS Computational Linguistics program, one of the things that Zhao learned was how to use and build AI models including LLMs (large language models).
“The MDS Computational Linguistics program provided a solid foundation in modern LLMs and AI techniques, which has been highly valuable for my PhD research. This foundation not only supports my current work but also allows me to quickly understand and adapt to emerging models as the field evolves,” added Zhao.
For his PhD research, Zhao plans to develop LLM-based applications across domains such as virtual shopping assistants and emotional support conversational agents. “These projects build on the advanced techniques I learned in the MDS Computational Linguistics program—particularly in areas like state-of-the-art LLMs and reinforcement learning.”
After completing his PhD, Zhao hopes to become a faculty member at a leading business school in North America, where he can conduct impactful research and contribute to both academic and industry advancements in information systems.
For those MDS Computational Linguistics students interested in pursuing a PhD post program, Zhao highly recommends working with MDS faculty on research projects.
“It not only strengthens your academic profile but also opens doors to industry roles, especially in research-driven positions. Some students have landed jobs through networking at conferences by sharing their research,” he explained.