“First, let me thank the Prescio team for providing me a great opportunity to have hands on experience of real-world data analysis. Soon after I finished my PhD in Applied Economics I joined Prescio, as part of an internship program. Though I had gained theoretical knowledge in economics and statistics from school, I soon realized that it is not enough to make one a real analyst. Real-world data may not always be structured, and you may have to do lots of preparations to make them usable in data analysis software. The internship at Prescio helped me tackle such data, teaching me some new modeling methodologies, which I had not studied in school. During the internship program, which spanned over about five months, I literally learned something new every day. Apart from the experience with data analytical tools, I also had the opportunity to produce model development documentation. Nowadays, especially in the financial world, the model development process is not considered completed unless the whole process is well documented. A poorly documented model, no matter how complex or useful, may get rejected by the approval authorities. Finally, this internship played an important role in receiving an offer from a leading financial institution. I would urge all who want to get a real-world experience to try the internship at Prescio, which is a worthwhile experience. The whole team at Prescio is very helpful with necessary directions to train interns into successful and competitive real-world data analysts.“

The 2015 Prabir Burman intern is Travis Scholten. Mr. Scholten is pursuing his Ph.D. in Physics, at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, where he focuses on problems that lie at the intersection of computer science, information theory, and quantum mechanics. He received his BA in Physics from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena in 2012. He joined Prescio to learn about alternative career paths for those with quantitative skills. He left Prescio with a better understanding of his skills and where they can be improved and with some interesting experiences under his belt.

“On the whole, this summer has been one of expanding knowledge, both of a personal and technical nature. It was great to work with a company whose size is of a human scale. I was able to learn a lot about my coworkers and their lives, and to gain a better appreciation of how to work with others even when they may not be physically present.

I am grateful to Prescio for having me join their quant team and work on new projects for our clients. Broadly speaking, I worked on three projects: learning about a new financial risk assessment approach, performing sensitivity analysis for models developed by our client, and performing an independent investigation into the stability of those models. One highlight from this summer was writing code which could automate generating some of the reports we prepared. Doing so challenged me to learn the very useful skill of working with code written by others. In addition, I gained experience in writing code which can be used after I have departed.

What is more, I was encouraged to try my hand at something relatively new to me – writing for the company’s website. Such practice has helped me develop my writing skills, and has encouraged me to continue to write.

On the personal side, Prescio’s location in Arizona made it favorable for taking simple day trips around the state. It was great to be able to see what natural and historical sites this state has to offer.“

The 2014 Prabir Burman intern is Matt Dawson. Mr. Dawson is pursuing his Ph.D. in Biostatistics at the University of California, Davis. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from California State University Channel Islands in 2010. Over the summer, Mr. Dawson assisted the Prescio team with model building and validation and fraud analytics.

“As a graduate student seeking a career in industry, I believe it is paramount to gain hands on experience. My internship at Prescio allowed me to reinforce what I have learned in the classroom, as well as become acquainted with business-practical applications. The staff was more than friendly and made the experience very comfortable. Additionally, I was encouraged to be creative and explore new ideas while working on projects rather than taking a passive role. This training will undoubtedly help in my pursuit toward a Ph.D., making this internship one of the most valuable opportunities I have had in my academic career and I would like to thank Prescio for having me!”

The 2013 Prabir Burman intern is Newton Foster, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Mr. Foster is working towards his Ph.D in mathematics and is researching Complex Function Theory. He obtained his MS in Mathematics from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 2012, and his BS in Mathematics, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Central Arkansas in 2009. We are proud to welcome Mr. Foster to our company.

“I would like to thank the Prescio Consulting team for giving me the opportunity to work with them through the Prabir Burman Internship. Prescio offered a welcoming, collaborative environment in which to learn and be successful while presenting the challenges necessary for me to grow. The experience has provided a springboard for my career and opened my eyes to the possibilities in the future.”