The June 2025 mentorship session was titled “The Role of Statistics in Data Science.” It took place on June 21, 2025 (Saturday) at 2:00 PM and was livestreamed on the UP Data Science Society Facebook page. Registration was through a sign-up link shared with the announcement.
The guest mentor was Dr. Michael Daniel Lucagbo. He earned his BS in Statistics (magna cum laude) and MS in Statistics from UP Diliman and his PhD from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He received the American Statistical Association Biopharmaceutical Section Scholarship Award for research and applied work in biopharmaceutical statistics. His dissertation, “Rectangular Statistical Regions with Applications in Laboratory Medicine and Calibration,” won the Outstanding Graduate Research in Statistics Award at UMBC. He has presented at international conferences, published research, and worked with the U.S. FDA Office of Biostatistics. He now teaches at the UP School of Statistics and is a member of the ASA, IMS, ISI, and PSA.
The session addressed a question many students ask when they start in data science: how much statistics do you need, and where does it show up in practice? Dr. Lucagbo shared how statistics plays a key role in shaping the field, speaking from a background in statistical research, teaching, and regulatory work.
The livestream was open to the public, and the session ran as part of the society’s monthly mentorship series.