AUGUST 6, 2026 – Upon graduating from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree in statistics, Neal Pillai was looking for a specific type of opportunity.
“I was really looking for a role where I could broaden and complement my skillset.”
Soon after graduation, Pillai applied, interviewed and was offered a position with U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in 2024 as part of the Army Fellowship Program which took him from the East coast to the Desert Southwest. The Army Fellows program offers recent graduates a two-year developmental role followed by a two-year service commitment as a civilian for the U.S. Army.
“You really spend two years as a full-time employee and it’s a really good way to learn and develop soft skills and of course technical skills as part of the role,” said Pillai of the experience now two years into his fellowship.
Pillai was hired on as a Data Scientist working alongside YPG’s Chief Data and Analytics Officer Richard Hernandez. YPG’s mission of conducting testing and collecting data to provide for the customer has been eye opening for Pillai.
He describes the difference between learning in school and real-world learning.
“As someone who studies statistics. A lot of what they teach is more tailored around how do you fit models, how do you use machine learning models and analyzing data sets that are usually curated for you beforehand, and you could make predictions and decisions with those findings.”
The data is provided differently at YPG.
“What was really appealing for me at YPG was that there’s such a vast array of different data, the data is produced and collected and analyzed in the same place which is pretty rare for a large organization like YPG. Just being able to get that opportunity to deal with not only data sets as in a tabular format, but working with videos, audio data and other types of data that we collect here at YPG downrange.”
Now, after two years into the program, he’s thankful for the growth he’s made and says the experience has made him “a better data scientist” because it’s allowed him to see the entire data lifecycle. He touts the opportunity to work with various analysts, test officers, and support element personnel across YPG has also led him to better understanding of how YPG’s data collection, management, and governance processes work.
Pillai learned the importance of “forging his own path.” He credits the Fellows training provided in leadership, communication and project management and his mentors, Hernandez and Patty Conley and many others for their guidance.
“I learned how the business works and what it takes to be successful,” remarked Pillai.
Story by Ana Henderson
U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground