GoGuardian, the leading education technology company providing simple, proven solutions to create effective, engaging, and safer learning environments, announced the addition of Ya Xu, an industry-leading expert on data science, to its board of directors. Ya currently serves as Vice President of Engineering and Head of Data and AI at LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network.
The use of data in education has opened up new frontiers for personalized learning, adaptive instruction, and intelligent systems that support and accelerate education outcomes. Ya brings deep expertise in data science to the board of directors, helping GoGuardian better deliver ethical, data-driven educational technologies that benefit students, educators, and society as a whole.
“Education is at a critical inflection point. Schools have returned to normalcy, yet many students are struggling to catch up with pandemic-related unfinished learning,” said Advait Shinde, co-founder and CEO, GoGuardian. “Data science is integral to delivering personalized, scalable solutions to help educators meet students where they are. We’re thrilled to have Ya, one of the world’s leading data science experts, join our board of directors at such an important time.”
GoGuardian’s solutions that utilize data-driven machine learning include GoGuardian Admin, which blocks harmful, inappropriate, or distracting content on school-issued devices; GoGuardian Beacon, a student safety solution that analyzes online activity for signs that students may need mental health resources; and TutorMe, an on-demand online education platform that uses data science to match students with the best online tutors in under 30 seconds. The company’s data-centric research and development will continue to grow as GoGuardian pursues its mission to build the ultimate learning platform.
“GoGuardian is a profoundly mission-driven and innovative company that aligns with my passion for technology as well as my desire to create true, positive impact in our world,” said Ya. “We’re only beginning to realize the potential for data science in education, and I’m excited to work with GoGuardian to continue delivering ethically designed, outcome-oriented, and equitable innovation in the classroom.”
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Ya currently leads a global team of approximately 1,000 data scientists and engineers focused on delivering economic opportunity to LinkedIn’s members and customers. Since joining the company in 2013, her leadership has been a driving force in transforming LinkedIn into a data-first company.
Ya is also the co-author of Trustworthy Online Controlled Experiments, a book about how best to accelerate online innovation. She was spotlighted in Fortune’s 2020 class of 40 Under 40 in Technology and nominated for VentureBeat’s 2020 Women in AI Awards. Prior to working at LinkedIn, she worked as an applied researcher at Microsoft and received a Ph.D. in Statistics from Stanford University.