College of Business to Host Jessica Yeats from NVIDIA as New Executive in Residence

In addition to having lunches with select groups of students, Yeats will visit several College of Business classes, where she will present on a variety of topics pertaining to her expertise and background. Students at every level from freshman to graduate will have the opportunity to hear from her.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jessica Yeats back to ISU,” said Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Economics, Dr. Iris Buder. “As the Principal Data Scientist for NVIDIA's Autonomous Driving Unit, she will bring a wealth of expertise and experience in the field of technological innovation. NVIDIA's prominence in the technological industry and their leading edge technologies makes this Executive in Residence visit increasingly exciting. We hope that our students, across various disciplines, gain valuable insights regarding the practical applications of data science and analytics, along with the diverse careers paths within the field.” 

Prior to NVIDIA, Yeats worked at McKinsey and Company where she led the development of a proprietary dataset and advanced analytics toolkit for predictive lead generation for insurance payors. She subsequently led the data science team at Raven Ops where she developed a methodology for identifying hostile aircraft in uncorrelated FAA radar returns. She received her PhD in Quantitative Policy Analysis from the RAND Graduate School in 2015. Her dissertation comprised three papers on the economics of testing and treating high risk groups for latent tuberculosis infection. She was named the 2nd overall individual speaker at the 2007 National Debate Tournament and was awarded the William J. Taylor fellowship at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, given to one collegiate policy debater annually. She splits her time between Chicago and her home state of Idaho. 

For information on Yeats’ office hours being held through March and 27 and 28, visit isu.edu/cob/executive. All are also invited to attend a welcome reception, being held March 27 from 10 - 11 a.m. in the College of Business Student Community Center, BA 216.