All About Data

Welcome to my personal website! I am a Master of Public Policy student at the University of Chicago with a Certificate in Data Science. My work focuses on impact evaluation, data analysis, and policy research.

Portfolio Projects

Below are some selected projects from my data portfolio:

Description: Launched a data narratives newsletter with 300+ subscribers to enhance data literacy in India through compelling visual narratives. Published 20+ data-driven articles on topics like sports analytics, impact investing, and sentiment analysis using Python and R.
Link: Visit Newsletter

Highlighted work:
Artistry of the Windy City: Chicago Mural Data Analysis Analysis of Social Experiment of politeness (self-collected data)
Sentiment Analysis of Hamilton
Data Analysis of Shark Tank Investments

Transit and Food Availability in Ashburn, Chicago

Description: This market report analyzes Ashburn, Chicago’s accessibility to essential food services, primarily grocery stores. It employs GIS mapping, examines public transit and bicycle infrastructure, identifies service gaps, and offers recommendations to improve food access and transportation equity within the community.
Link: View Report

Philanthropy and Responsibilism in the United States

Description: This project was funded in a pitch contest hosted by Professor Thomas Talhelm at Booth School of Business. This gave us an opportunity to design our own survey of more than 50 questions which was completed by 180 individuals in the United States. This project explored giving patterns in the U.S., analyzing factors influencing donations, preferences for structured vs. informal giving, and donor anxieties. Findings provided insights into philanthropic behavior and the motivations driving charitable contributions. We used Qualtrics & R to collect and analyze data.
Links: View Slide Deck | View Code

Materiality Assessment of APA Corp. (2024)

Description: In this project, APA Corp., a hydrocarbon exploration company was analyzed qualitatively and benchmarked against competitors quantitatively on ESG themes. This project was supervised by John Oxtoby (Ariel Investments) & Neolle Liang (Builders Vision). R programming was used to conduct data analysis. Link: View Report

What in the F-gases?

Description: This project utilized Altair in python to create interactive visualizations exploring fluorinated gas (F-gases) emissions across countries, development statuses, and industries. Key insights included identifying the top 10 emitters, analyzing per capita emissions trends, and highlighting the role of retail refrigeration in rising emissions. The visual narratives effectively communicated the disparity in emissions and the need for targeted mitigation policies using relevant graphs & color themes.
Links: View Project | View Code

US Energy Sources Interactive Dashboard

Description: Explore insights on US Energy trends segmented by each state and read about the State’s energy transition goals, if any. Link: US Energy Website

Reading Beyond the (Radcliffe) Line: Sentiment Analysis & NER on Partition-Era Books

Description: This project used sentiment analysis and Named Entity Recognition (NER) in R to explore evidence of syncretism and related rhetoric in five well-known books that provide a narrative account of the Partition. The goal was to analyze the sentiment and identify key entities related to the partition’s themes and discourse.
Link: View Project on GitHub

HabitByBit: SMS-based Habit Tracking App

Description: Using Ruby on Rails and D3.js, I developed an SMS-based habit tracker designed for ease of use and seamless customization. The application enables users to self-report habits via text messages, offering a simple yet effective way to track progress. Links:

📚 Education

University of Chicago, IL (Graduation: May 2025)
- Master of Public Policy, Certificate in Data Science, International House Fellow ’25
- Coursework: ESG & Impact Investing, Program Evaluation, Microeconomics, Data Visualization
Ashoka University, India (Graduation: May 2023)
- BA (Hons.) Economics, Cum Laude
- Coursework: Machine Learning, Environmental Economics, Development Economics, Econometrics

💼 Work Experience

IDinsight Zambia | Lusaka, Zambia

Consultant (Jun 2024 – Aug 2024)

Analyzed education leadership interventions in South Africa and provided recommendations to the Western Cape Education Board.
Used MICE for missing data imputation and causal forests to assess program impact.
Combined quantitative analysis (World Bank Teach & D-WMS tool) with qualitative findings (FGDs) for a comprehensive impact report.

Harris School of Public Policy | Chicago, IL

Coding Tutor (Jan 2023 – Present)

Conducting one-on-one R & STATA tutorials for 500+ students.
Designed interactive learning materials (Quizlet, simulations) for better engagement.
Achieved a 90% return rate by simplifying complex coding concepts.

Department of Economics, Ashoka University | New Delhi, India

Head Teaching Assistant (Aug 2022 – May 2023)

Taught R programming through real-world datasets from Kaggle, DHS, FRED.
Redesigned curriculum with flipped classroom models & case studies, improving engagement.
Integrated ShinyApps for interactive statistical learning, increasing quiz scores by ~20%.

✍️ Leadership & Projects

Created a bi-weekly data literacy newsletter with 300+ subscribers.
Published 20+ data-driven articles on sports analytics, impact investing, and sentiment analysis using Python & R.
Built a guest author program to mentor high school students in India on data storytelling.

Book Foreword – “Who Cares About the Parliament” (Rupa Publications, 2023)

Contributed a published foreword for Indian MP Derek O’Brien’s book on parliamentary affairs.
Synthesized cross-party perspectives into a policy brief during the 2023 Data Protection Bill debate.

Ashoka Behavioral Insights Team (Research Lead, Jan 2020 – Aug 2020)

Conducted a longitudinal study on student well-being using psychological scales on Qualtrics.
Authored a report for the Office of Academic Affairs recommending stress-reducing policies.

🔧 Skills & Awards

Programming: R (ggplot, shiny, base), Python, STATA, SQL, MS Excel, QGIS, Ruby
Languages: English (Professional), Hindi (Native), Marathi (Native)
Awards: Essay Contest Winner (Berkeley Economic Review), Harris Merit Scholar

📫 Get in Touch

Email: akshar@uchicago.edu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/akshar-katariya

Thanks for visiting my site! 🚀