Richard Tang

You’re almost done with the first year as the inaugural cohort of EDS! What has it been like?

Serendipity, resource oversaturation (in a great way!), pioneering 

What is unique about the Education Data Science program? 

Flexibility, lots of freedom to design my own experience, program director and faculty willing to help me succeed and achieve my own unique goals

How have professors impressed you?

World-leading pioneers pushing the boundaries of human knowledge

Why Stanford?

Freedom to design my own experience, supportive environment, and a well-resourced community (in a great way again!)

How would you describe the other students in your cohort?

Mission-driven, diverse, international

What drew you to education data science?

The potential to build, scale, and evaluate effective and equitable learning technologies

What were you doing prior to applying to the GSE?

Undergraduate at UC Berkeley, running an edtech nonprofit, pioneering an education data science fellowship

What are your career plans and goals?

Long term: build and expand the field of education innovation and academia-industry partnerships, support the next generation of change-makers

Where do you hope to be in five years?

Growing my startup to a meaningful scale

What advice do you have for students who are trying to decide whether to attend the EDS program?

Reach out to existing students, clarify your goals, and make sure you understand whether EDS is the best choice among other options

Any tips for incoming students to help them get the most from their time at Stanford? 

Clarify your goals and make sure you maximize your time here. You are what you spend time on, so don’t waste time!

What do you do to relax and have fun?

Play basketball, participate in cohort activities such as dinner, watch the Olympics, go hiking