Welcome to my homepage!

I am Varada Kolhatkar (/ʋəɾəda kɔːlɦəʈkər/), an educator in computer science specializing in applied machine learning and data science. My goal is to make these fields more accessible and less intimidating, without compromising on rigour.

My current roles are Assistant Professor of Teaching and Co-Director of the Master of Data Science program at the University of British Columbia. In simple terms, I strive to help students learn computer science and data science, while also working to ensure the smooth operation of our Master of Data Science program.

My background is in computer science and I received my Ph.D. in computational linguistics from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. In the past, I have spent time as a researcher in industry as well as in academia in different cities around the world, including Duluth, Baltimore, Toronto, Ottawa, Stuttgart, and Hamburg.

If you are curious, Varada (वरदा) is a Sanskrit name, which means the one who grants your wishes! I grew up in a traditional household in a city called Pune in India. My first language is Marathi.