The Ellis Ott Scholarship Governing Committee recently awarded Zoga Duka and Zihan Zhang with $7,500 scholarships, which are given to reward promising master’s and PhD candidates pursuing advanced degrees in statistics and related disciplines.
Duka is pursuing her master’s in data science at Columbia University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in computer science from the College of Staten Island with a 3.86 GPA. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of statistics, interdisciplinary research, and machine learning, and she is deeply committed to using data science to drive public impact.
As a data science research assistant at the CUNY Chazanoff School of Business, Duka led a study on salary transparency laws using advanced econometric models such as two-way fixed effects and CSDID. She has also conducted machine learning research at the NYU Center for Data Science, contributed to oncology research using large language models, and built large-scale analytics solutions in both health care and finance settings.
During her internship at MetLife, Duka developed cloud-based data pipelines and dashboards to support investment analytics and automation and provide critical insights. At RTR Financial Services, she developed predictive analytics systems using Python, SQL, and Power BI to support decision-making for health care and government clients.
Duka’s work consistently reflects her dedication to using data science as a tool for equity, insight, and impact. She is passionate about bridging statistical theory with socially meaningful applications.
Zihan Zhang is a PhD candidate in industrial engineering at Georgia Tech, where she is advised by Jianjun Shi and Kamran Paynabar. Her research focuses on tensor-based modeling, analysis, and control of high-dimensional streaming data, with applications in semiconductor manufacturing, energy systems, and agriculture.
In addition to research, Zhang is deeply involved in teaching and curriculum development. She has served as a teaching assistant for six courses across 13 sessions at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She has also guest-lectured in two courses and developed a new course module titled Tensor-Based Prognostics and Control for Semiconductor Manufacturing, which she has taught twice. During the summer of 2025, she was the sole instructor for the undergraduate course Methods for Quality Improvement.
Alongside her research and teaching, Zhang is an active volunteer with a strong passion for K–12 education and outreach, dedicating her time to initiatives that inspire and support the next generation of learners.
The scholarship program honors Ellis Ott, founder of one of the earliest US-based applied and mathematical statistics departments at Rutgers University. Ott was a recipient of the Shewhart Medal and an early collaborator in the founding of the American Society for Quality.
Ellis R. Ott Scholarships are awarded under the auspices of the Statistics Division of the American Society for Quality. The governing board includes Mark Vandeven (chair), Mindy Hotchkiss, J. Stuart Hunter, Joel Smith, Tom Murphy, Susan O. Schall, Ronald Snee, J. Richard Trout, Neil Ullman, and Lynne Hare.
Leave a Reply