Brian Xi, B.A. ‘24, became interested in public interest technology during his first data science course. His professor used the 1854 cholera outbreak in London to teach about causation, showing how a physician proved water supply differences explained varying death rates. That discovery saved lives.
Today, Xi does similar work on a project at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a CDC software engineering fellow as part of the U.S. Digital Corps, he helps predict and respond to disease outbreaks.
“Seeing the connection between public health and data science really opened my eyes to the fact that in most fields you are interested in, there is some sort of space for computing,” said Xi. “It was nice to see how data science could be used in fields that have a close impact on people's livelihoods.”
Xi graduated from UC Berkeley with bachelor’s of arts degrees in computer science and data science, the two majors with the largest graduating classes last spring. He is one of 70 fellows in this year’s cohort of the U.S. Digital Corps, an initiative that brings early-career technology talent into federal agencies. Xi is an example of how Berkeley alum are helping society.
“As with most federal programs and work, the scale and impact has the potential to benefit millions of people,” said Xi, who grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz. “That's a huge privilege.”
Xi chose to attend Berkeley because of its excellence across fields. It’s also a big school with wide-ranging communities. Whatever interests he might develop – social or academic – Xi felt confident the university had the faculty, facilities and peers to support him.
Today, he says that was the right choice. Xi came to Berkeley to become an environmental economist, but he changed majors after taking introductory computer science and data science courses. He continued studying urban science as a domain emphasis.
“I was looking for a strong technical foundation that would empower me to use these technical skill sets in other domains that I was also passionate about, like public policy, sustainability and urban planning,” said Xi. “Both majors were pretty flexible, allowing me to customize my upper division classes and helping me take the urban planning classes that would best complement what I had been learning within my majors.”
Xi had always been interested in public service and continued exploring after his freshman year by interning at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He loved the impact the agency’s work had on the world. This experience led him to apply for the fellowship he has now.
In his current role as a fellow in the U.S. Digital Corps, he works with the CDC’s new Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. Over the next two years, he will build platforms to enable collaboration between the federal office and its local partners. He’ll also look for opportunities to connect modeling efforts within the CDC. Berkeley has prepared him for these challenges, he said.
“You learn how to pick up new programming languages and platforms even if you don't have formal experience with it,” said Xi. “Berkeley also teaches you grit and the value of taking initiative in your own development. I'll be excited to take those lessons and be proactive in my own learning within the fellowship.”
Xi encouraged other Berkeley students to consider civic technology careers. Many federal agencies are evaluating how they can use AI and other tools to deliver better services to the American people, he said, and they need passionate technologists to help.
Ultimately, Xi urged students to take advantage of all that Berkeley has to offer to find themselves and their future careers. Connect with people outside of your major, he said, whether through clubs, research or other communities. That crucial step helped him discover and feel confident in his choice to pursue public interest technology.
“Treating college as a sandbox or safe space to explore any and all interests really helped me narrow my goals and get to where I am today,” said Xi.
