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Sarita Himthani

Class of '25
Pronouns: She/Her
Currently Studying: MS in Information Systems, Data Science Concentration
Student Assistant, Lubin School of Business

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Not long ago, business students were taught that spreadsheets were enough. If you could calculate profit margins, build a budget, or analyze sales numbers, you were considered data savvy. Today, that’s only the beginning. Across every industry, companies are flooded with information—web traffic, customer preferences, supply chain metrics, even social media sentiment. Making sense of all this requires more than a good Excel formula. It calls for the tools and mindset of data science.

Data is now the language of business. Imagine walking into a meeting where the conversation revolves around customer lifetime value, churn predictions, or real-time inventory analytics. Without the ability to understand the numbers behind those terms, tomorrow’s leaders risk being left out of critical decision-making.

Professor Vishal Lala, PhD, who teaches quantitative courses in marketing at Lubin, has said: “Today’s businesses, armed with more data than ever before, are eager to unlock the power of data. They are looking for executives that have a sound understanding of business, have the ability to write computer code to analyze data, possess the statistical know-how to interpret it, and the acumen to effectively communicate results to senior management. They are looking for a Data Scientist who understands Business.”

Spreadsheets can tell you what happened. Data science helps you ask what’s likely to happen next. With techniques like predictive modeling and machine learning, businesses can forecast trends, uncover hidden opportunities, and make decisions backed by evidence—not guesswork.

Employers today aren’t just looking for managers who can lead teams. They want problem-solvers who can bridge business strategy with analytical thinking. Even a basic understanding of data science can set a candidate apart—whether in consulting, finance, or marketing.

At its core, data science isn’t only about writing code or building algorithms—it’s about translating those technical foundations into better choices. Algorithms are powerful because they reveal patterns too complex for the human eye. But the real value lies in how those insights guide action. Data science helps us cut through the noise, surface meaningful trends, and balance intuition with evidence. For business students, learning data science isn’t about becoming a data scientist—it’s about being prepared for a future where every leader is expected to be data literate.

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