Meet Fatima Tuz Zafrin Tuli, who goes by Tuli, a geoscience data R&D scientist with the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), part of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Tuli's journey to ISGS began with a master’s degree in electrical engineering from San Diego State University, followed by five years as a Systems Engineer at the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. Her work at ISGS now focuses on managing and advancing the use of scientific data—particularly GIS data—in research. Continue reading to learn more about Tuli's passion for data, the essential tools of her trade, and her advice for newcomers to the field.
Q&A with Tuli
Q: Can you tell us about yourself and your role at PRI?
A: I am passionate about data, especially GIS data. My role here at ISGS involves working with scientific data from a variety of ongoing projects. I focus on research and development activities that enhance data management within ISGS.
Q: What drew you to your area of work or study?
A: We live in an era where technological advancements make everything faster and more efficient. Data is an invaluable asset when it’s organized and meaningful, and I’ve always been interested in pre-processing data to make it ready for analysis by researchers and scientists.
Q: What tools are indispensable to your work?
A: Several tools are essential for daily data handling tasks. I mostly use:
- Python, R, and MATLAB for data management, analysis, and cleaning
- RDBMS for automation and archival activities
These tools are critical for my work across data management and scientific research.
Q: What questions do you get asked most frequently about your career? How do you answer those questions?
A: People often ask what a scientific data specialist does and how I make scientific datasets ready for analysis. I explain that I dig into datasets, understand the metadata, and use various tools to clean and organize the data so it’s meaningful and ready for researchers.
Q: What advice would you give to those just starting out in your field?
A: For anyone planning to work with data, I’d recommend building strong programming skills, particularly in Python. It’s also crucial to stay current with advances in data science and analytics—new tools and methods are emerging every day, and flexibility to adapt is key. I’m always learning new technologies myself.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: I love exploring nature, especially visiting national parks and geographic locations during my free or vacation time. Most importantly, I enjoy spending time with my family.