Pendo Abbo

Class of 2019

Back when she was choosing among top engineering programs, Pendo Abbo '19 had one main criterion: someplace that wouldn't "put her academic experience in a box."

“I knew I wanted to get an engineering degree, but I also didn’t want that part of my identity to overtake my other interests or inhibit me from pursuing new ones,” Abbo said. “I chose Columbia Engineering because I knew it would allow me the space to grow—not only would I acquire the technical skills necessary for an engineer’s approach, but also the analytical skills to observe and contextualize the world in which we’re building solutions.”

As she prepares to graduate this spring, Abbo has become a globally-minded data analyst applying her major—operations research—to making optimal decisions in complex scenarios, from picking the right New York City apartment to better governing developing nations.

“As nerdy as it might sound, there’s something very exciting about using quantitative methods to optimize our decision making,” she said. “It’s an area that has applications in every industry, both private and public.”

An economics minor, Abbo credits a course on economic development with helping her think about data in a whole new context.

“When I used to hear terms like ‘machine learning’ and ‘big data’ I understood them in reference to their applications in the developed world,” said Abbo, who was born in Cameroon and immigrated to Maryland as a child. “But the class helped me see how these concepts can also apply to issues faced in developing nations. It’s been an exciting realization that’s opened a door for creativity connecting different fields of study.”

For instance, at Columbia Abbo’s begun exploring how policy makers and disaster relief organizations are scouring satellite imagery with machine learning to identify informal settlements that struggle with poverty and lack of infrastructure. She’s also looking at methods for applying artificial intelligence to more efficiently distribute aid in the wake of natural disasters.

This year, Abbo has been working as a research assistant, analyzing data to understand the relationship between pharmaceutical advertising and physicians’ prescribing behaviors. Pursuing her interest in policy, she has also served as vice chair of the Student Association for Global Engagement, which offers an array of opportunities for students from across the university to discuss and debate international issues both on and beyond campus.

Last summer, Abbo interned with Earnest Research, a data innovation startup that harnesses raw data on consumer behavior to help companies improve their decision making. She will return there after graduation as a full-time data analyst.

Eventually, Abbo plans to earn her master’s degree, likely in data science. Whatever endeavors she pursues, she hopes to be as creatively and intellectually engaged as she’s been during her time at Columbia.

“I think the best engineers are in tune with the world,” she said. “The exposure to all the diversity of thought has been extremely rewarding and opened my mind to so many different perspectives.”

Student Spotlight

I chose Columbia Engineering because I knew it would allow me the space to grow—not only would I acquire the technical skills necessary for an engineer’s approach, but also the analytical skills to observe and contextualize the world in which we’re building solutions.

Pendo Abbo
Class of 2019