Tyler Cody first came to the University of Virginia in the fall of 2014 as a first-year student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Eleven years later, he’s back on Grounds for his first semester as a professor in the School of Data Science.
As an undergraduate, he found himself drawn to systems engineering, learning to think across disciplines “about how different fields met,” and he fell in love with research.
He landed several research positions in the physics and systems engineering departments, by cold-calling and emailing professors. Most of his work was with Peter Beling, the School of Data Science national security research lead, who hired him and continued working with him as his adviser when Cody sought his doctorate.
“What’s drawn me back to UVA now is the unique culture of collaboration and focus on interdisciplinary impact that’s ideal for the kind of lab I want to build as a researcher,” Cody said.
Cody also joins the new National Security Data and Policy Institute. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
He said the culture of openness greatly benefited him, allowing him to work with several faculty members and graduate students in his first few years of college. “Sitting in lab research meetings across campus sparked my curiosity, led me to apply to several internships, and ultimately to intern with NASA three summers during my undergraduate career,” he said.
Cody was also very active outside of academia, joining both the powerlifting and ski teams and participating in UVA traditions. “I went to every Lighting of the Lawn,” he said.
After he graduated in 2018, inspired by his research experiences on Grounds, he entered the doctorate program at UVA. During orientation, he met a fellow doctoral student, Bingxu Li, and the pair were married a few years later, taking their engagement photos on the Lawn and marrying in downtown Charlottesville.
“We even bought our first house in Fry Springs,” he said. “We’re a Wahoo household for sure.”
