Check out my full professional profile on my website: https://nickmlacoste.github.io/I am a Ph.D. student in economics at Tulane University. My research focuses on novel machine learning applications to traditional economic problems in the fields of public finance and economic development. Prior to beginning my Ph.D., I worked as a data scientist for Cognizant Technology Solutions where I specialized in forecasting analytics and optimization algorithms. I performed contractual work for Microsoft, General Electric Appliances, and others while there. I have several years of experience with scripting languages, particularly python, R, and Stata, which I have used to automate numerous business workflows, develop automated trading algorithms, and perform econometric analysis. Additionally, I have a Master's degree in data analytics from Louisiana State University.