Elements of Data Science Course Staff

Professor of Instruction
Director of First Year Datascience
Data is fun particularly when connected to chemistry. I enjoy hiking, biking, and nordic skiing. Always enjoy helping you understand how cool working and analyzing data can be after getting past challenges, come to office hours, ask a question in class, or email.
[https://sites.temple.edu/jmsmith/](https://sites.temple.edu/jmsmith/)

Professor of Geophysics
Weeks Chair of Environmental Geology
[https://sites.temple.edu/geophysics/](https://sites.temple.edu/geophysics/)
NOTE: not teaching Elements of Data Science Spring 2026

Data is the catalyst for smarter decisions. When I’m not analyzing numbers, I enjoy reading, singing, hiking, and listening to classical music.

I’m a Temple alumnus, having earned my PhD in Physics here. But before you picture me as Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, let me stop you right there. I promise I’m far less likely to knock three times on your door.
My research interests lie primarily in Soft Condensed Matter, where I’ve worked with everything from crude oil and blood to liquid chocolate. (Yes, sometimes science really is delicious!)
And when I’m not on campus, you’ll usually find me in my garage, happily elbows‑deep in engine parts while trying to convince my car to love me back. After all, car engineering is really just physics with more grease.

I’m double majoring in Data Science and Cybersecurity. I’m also an international student.

Hi, I'm Matthew! I'm an accelerated B.S./M.S. program in Computational Data Science student, and I'm excited to be a course assistant for Elements of Data Science this semester. I grew up in Indonesia and studied in Taiwan before moving back to Philadelphia. I'm drawn to the intersection of data, business, and leadership, and I also lead youth, organize events, and manage media production for my church ministry. Looking forward to helping you all build strong data fluency this semester!

Hi everyone! My name is Mohammad Ahnaf Shahriar. I’m a junior international student from Bangladesh majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Finance. I enjoy playing chess and watching stock prices go down—especially the ones I can’t afford yet, and trust me, that’s most of them. Feel free to reach out to me with classwork questions or if you need any guidance. I’m always happy to help!

Hi, my name is Soul Moreno! I am a fourth-year biology major with a minor in neuroscience research, originally from North Jersey. I currently work as a research assistant for two labs, one for Temple and the other for UPenn. During my free time, I enjoy taking walks, playing piano, singing, and trying new food spots. Please let me know if you have any questions via email; I'm always happy to help!

Hello, my name is Tyler Baughman. I am a Cybersecurity Major and I greatly enjoy things like 3d printing and coding. I work for the navy during the summer. I maker super hero suits and my favorite are the blue beetle and Batman!

Hello, I am a second-year Chemistry major. My hobbies include worldbuilding, puzzle-solving, and ironic humor. I am at my happiest when I code in Python. I look forward to working with you all.