Methane Through the Lens of Data Science

My name is Kelson Dunn, and I am a rising 2nd Semester Junior at Whitman College, majoring in Mathematics and Computer Science with a minor in Japanese. This summer, I have the privilege of interning with Insight M, located in Sunnyvale, CA. Insight M focuses on surveying oil basins to find and identify methane leaks in the oil and gas industry, as well as creating data driven models. I was drawn to this internship mainly to explore what data science truly is while contributing to environmental protection.

One of my main projects at Insight M has been consolidating three years of company data, accounting for mergers and acquisitions. This project kept evolving over the summer as it was being used as a data source as one of Insight M’s partner companies conducted their own research project. In addition to this project, my typical week involves working independently on whatever project I have, as well as countless one on one meetings and team meetings. This gave me plenty of opportunities to bounce ideas off my peers as well as receive useful feedback into possible improvements.

So far, one of my biggest accomplishments has been my research into a data anomaly Insight M noticed in one of the big oil basins, and the subsequent presentation I gave afterward. I’m proud of this because it had weight, it was not just a menial task assigned to me, but rather an important piece of evidence that will continue to shape Insight M’s work long after my internship. By the end of the internship, I hope to see the true impact my work has made. At first I struggled with imposter syndrome surrounded by some of the smartest people I have ever met. But as I collaborated with my peers, I came to realize that I truly belonged in this space.

Over my time at Whitman the most valuable skill Whitman has given me is the capacity to learn. Almost every project assigned to me involved having to learn something new, whether it be a coding library or even a company software. All of my projects were drastically different, so being able to adapt to that constant change. This adaptability allowed me to take on projects outside of my comfort zone and grow from them.

Looking ahead, I see this internship as an important step toward my long-term goals. I had never worked in my field of study, and my time at Insight M has been an eye opening experience to what my future holds. This internship has only strengthened my passion for what I am studying. 
I am grateful for the Whitman Internship Grant, which made this opportunity possible, and I look forward to carrying these lessons with me back to campus and into my career.