I have seen Fellipe work on countless group projects outside his class curriculum. He has taken his own time many times to help others, especially in data science and working on a start-up.Here, we asked Fellipe some questions about their Berkeley MEng experience.
What does it mean to you to receive this award?
“I’m very proud to have been awarded the 2020 Intellectual Technical Contribution Award by my cohort in the Master of Engineering program. As an international student, I have always dreamed of having an experience at an institution of higher education in the US, due to their strong reputation and quality. Once I got approved to study at UC Berkeley, I knew I had to take advantage of every opportunity I was given in this short period of time. My main goal in the program was to make a career transition into the field of data science and machine learning, so I enrolled in technical courses on the subject and also did some side projects with friends that I met in the program. From developing a prototype of a smart recycling bin powered by computer vision to participating in hackathons and working on a capstone project about optimizing traffic lights using reinforcement learning, I feel that I improved my technical skills a lot during those intense months and I always enjoyed helping people by explaining technical concepts whenever I could. Therefore, this award is a recognition of all the work I put in to pursue my goal and corroborates the worthiness of this journey.What are your post-graduation plans?
I plan to work in the industry to apply the knowledge I acquired during the program, as well as during my past work experiences, in a quantitative role. At the moment, I’m seeking full-time job opportunities in a data scientist role.
What is your favorite Berkeley memory?
I think one of the best things Berkeley can offer is the opportunity to meet incredible people from around the globe. I made friends from the US, Italy, Chile, France, Spain, Costa Rica and the list goes on! Each person has an amazing story to share, and I think I don’t have one favorite memory, but a collection of experiences that made Berkeley such a great place to be, from social events in the International House to trips we made to go skiing in Lake Tahoe, to go surfing in Pacifica State Beach or a road trip in the famous Highway 101.What was your favorite class at Berkeley?
I think my favorite class at Berkeley was IEOR242 — Applications in Data Analysis, by Professor Paul Grigas. This course was very aligned to my goals of applying machine learning and data analysis tools into real-world problems. This class taught me the main machine learning algorithms, such as linear regression, logistic regression, decision trees, time-series and neural networks, just to mention a few. Moreover, besides explaining the theory behind each algorithm, all the classes were focused on applications of the algorithm in the industry, which made this course very useful. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in data science and machine learning!
What is your advice to future MEng students?
My advice to future MEng students is to take advantage of everything UC Berkeley can offer you. Having a clear goal in mind is also very helpful. For example, if you want to be an entrepreneur, you will find tons of resources, such as keynote speakers that founded their own startups or startup challenges that may lead to first round funding. If you want to work in industry, you can participate in career fairs, meetings with MEng alumni and technical talks with companies recruiting in the Bay Area. No matter what your goal is, you have a limited time at Berkeley and you should try to use it wisely!” Connect with Fellipe Marcellino or view his personal website.Fellipe Marcellino awarded 2020 Intellectual Technical Contribution Award was originally published in Berkeley Master of Engineering on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.