Ista holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Rochester. During graduate school he discovered a love of statistical programming, primarily using the R environment for statistical computing. Broadly speaking, Ista is interested in the ways in which technology can be used to turn raw data into information useful to human beings. His areas of expertise include visualization, statistical modeling, and data manipulation and management. Ista has expertise in statistical programs including R, Stata, SPSS, and Mplus, as well as experience with general-purpose programing languages including Python, Javascript, and Haskell. In his free time, Ista enjoys cooking, playing golf, and strolling through the Arnold arboretum near his home in Roslindale.