Employee Profile: Meet Razib Shishir, fish and wildlife data scientist

How would you explain your job to your neighbor, so they not only understand what you do but what BPA does and its role in our region?
I help fish as part of BPA’s Fish and Wildlife Division. I didn’t think about why helping fish was important until I started working for Bonneville. After starting at BPA, I realized how important fish are to Native Americans – they are people of salmon. I had never thought about that and how vital salmon are for their existence. I’m not proud of what we are doing to the planet as human beings, so I’m proud of doing whatever we can do to mitigate our footprint for the next generation.

How does your work support BPA’s mission and strategy?
My group, Policy and Planning, collaborates with sponsors outside of BPA to mitigate environmental impacts, specifically related to fish. We manage programs and projects to reduce the impacts of the federal hydropower dams on fish and wildlife in the Columbia River Basin.

One of the key aspects of my work involves using metrics to measure the effectiveness of our programs. By collecting and analyzing data on the impact of our initiatives, I’m able to provide valuable insights that inform strategic decision-making within our group. This data helps us understand the outcomes of our work and identify areas for improvement and growth. Ultimately, my work contributes to BPA's strategic goal of enhancing the value of products and services by prioritizing fish and wildlife investments based on biological effectiveness and mitigation for Federal Columbia River Power System impacts.

Sharing the outcomes of our programs and projects using data and metrics enhances communication, transparency and trust with stakeholders and the public. Data also provides valuable information that can inform future strategies and initiatives within our group and at BPA.

How does your work help the agency prepare for, respond to or build resiliency to climate change?
I partner with leads from other organizations, such hatcheries and habitat restoration groups, and they work on mitigation projects that directly help fish and wildlife be more resilient to a changing climate.

A new or technical aspect of my job that I enjoy is: 
In my previous role in the private sector, the main focus was on driving profits, but here at BPA, our mission extends beyond financial gains. We are dedicated to allocating resources towards mitigating our environmental impact, making a positive difference for the planet. It has been truly enlightening for me to shift from a profit-centered mindset to one that prioritizes environmental stewardship. In my work, I rely on tools like Excel, R, Python and Power BI for data analysis and visualization. Using these technologies, I have come to understand the complexity of our projects and that a single data set often does not provide a comprehensive view of our performance. Our projects present challenges that our sponsors navigate, such as the nature of the work, geographic location and size, project complexity, engagement with landowners, the duration of the project, and many other factors.

I like working at BPA because:
I like helping fish! And I really like that the entire focus of my job is to help the environment instead of just trying to make profits.

Safety is a core value at BPA. How do you incorporate safe behavior into your practices and environment?
I appreciate the measures and precautions that BPA implements for safety. Even in the office, there is an emphasis on ergonomics and stretching. I try to be mindful of my work habits to prevent aches and injuries that come with working an office job.

My most memorable story while working at BPA is:
We went on a field trip to see chum salmon right before Thanksgiving 2023, and I have never seen anything like it. We saw salmon so close in a creek ready to spawn. One of our colleagues, Scott Bettin, was explaining he was one of the people who organized creating this creek, or channel, where workers dredged so salmon can lay eggs. I’ve never seen wild fish so close, and it was very beautiful and memorable.

Tell us about your notable accomplishments, past jobs, awards, published work, etc.
I’m proud of the volunteer work I do with youth refugees and low-income families. Through the non-profit I volunteer with, we provide programs that expose them to fun things like camping. The happiness it brings to the kids, I feel like that’s an accomplishment for me.

My favorite thing about working and living in the Northwest is:
I love the outdoors here, and I love the fall colors. Everything just has its own majestic qualities.

Two things I can’t live without are:
I can’t live without my faith and my family.

I am inspired by (people or places):
I am inspired by my Islamic faith and our prophet, Mohammed.

Where did you go to school? What did you study? What attracted you to that/those subject(s)?
I went to Arizona State University and majored in electrical engineering from undergrad to my doctorate. I then finished a master’s in data science a few years ago, and that’s led me to my current role at BPA.