Lasitha Rathnayake

Lasitha Rathnayake has extensive experience in data science and academia, currently serving as Principal Data Scientist at Discover Financial Services since August 2016, with prior roles as a Senior Modeler and a Senior Associate in Loss Forecasting. Prior to this, Lasitha was a Teaching Assistant at The University of Texas at Dallas from August 2011 to August 2016, responsible for conducting problem sessions in Calculus and Differential Equations, grading, and supporting students in Statistics courses. Lasitha also worked as a Full-time Teaching Assistant at the University of Peradeniya, conducting laboratory and tutorial classes in Statistics, and gained early experience as an intern at the Research and Special Education Division of the Department of Census and Statistics in Sri Lanka. Educational credentials include a PhD in Statistics and a Master’s degree in Mathematics from The University of Texas at Dallas, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Operations Research from the University of Peradeniya.