Ethan writes:
I graduated from Gordon with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science. During my junior year, I took a class called Mathematical Modeling for Industry, which showed me the huge potential within data analysis. Applying mathematical theories to solve business problems using the computer was fascinating to me.
After graduating, I started working as a financial analyst at EBSCO Information Services in Ipswich, Massachusetts. It is among the biggest information providers to academic, medical and corporate users. One of our most famous products is EBSCO Host, a research platform that many academic institutions use, including Gordon College.
My primary responsibilities are to interpret the financial data collected from EBSCO’s revenues and expenses and to present this information as a meaningful story to the company’s various departments. Another big part of my job is to clean the data, which allows each department to make better decisions based on our insights.
Olivia writes:
I graduated from Gordon with a double major in Mathematics and Secondary Education. I spent a few months teaching high school math before changing directions and enrolling in the Master’s program at UConn with a concentration in actuarial science. I now work as an actuarial analyst at The Hartford. In my current role, I am responsible for compiling, analyzing, and communicating diagnostic information about personal auto insurance claims. I also have the privilege of being trained in predictive modeling techniques and programming in R; these skills make us smarter about how we attempt to “look into the future” of insurance claims.
Lauren graduated from Gordon with a double major in Mathematics and Secondary Education, along with a minor in Music. Lauren considered teaching math at the high school level, but decided to enroll in the Pure Mathematics doctoral program at the University of New Hampshire immediately after her time at Gordon. After graduating from UNH with her Ph.D. in May 2017, she began her teaching career at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. She is now a full-time lecturer in the mathematics department at the University of New Hampshire. Along with teaching undergraduates mathematics, she is continuing her research in operator theory.
Jane graduated with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Science. She works for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems as a Systems Engineer. Jane’s roles have included system performance analysis, analysis tools development, requirements management, and systems architecture development. As part of her commitment to leadership in the workplace, Jane recently completed an advanced degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Leadership at Northeastern University.
I graduated from Gordon with a major in Mathematics and minor in Computer Science. After graduation I joined Veracross, which builds information systems used by private K-12 schools around the world. Since the company was so small when I joined, I got to wear many hats, and gained expertise not only in full-stack web application development, but also database administration, cloud infrastructure management, and web application security. I co-led our engineering team for many years, but in 2018 moved into the Director of Engineering role, overseeing application development, platform security, and infrastructure.
In his own words:
“The field of Business Intelligence (BI) represents a blend of information technology, data science and business,” says Chris Smith, who has been with Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) since 2015. “This makes every workday unique; there is very little monotony. And I’ve developed a well-rounded, data-driven skill set.”
SHP uses data to improve the quality and optimize the performance of home health providers. One of the ways it does this is through predictive analytics. “I’m currently researching ways to improve the accuracy of an algorithm that predicts the risk of a home-health patient being hospitalized in the near future. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and hospitals closely follow these kinds of hospitalization statistics, making this a crucial metric for SHP’s clients.”
Of his time at Gordon, Chris recalls a particular course, Operations Research, taught by Dr. Mike Veatch. “It demonstrated how mathematics could be used to make better business decisions,” he says. “I remember learning about how the U.S. military used operations research to determine the most efficient and effective way to move equipment and personnel to various strategic destinations. It was one of my favorite classes at Gordon, and it opened my eyes to the world of applied mathematics— which eventually led me to a career in BI.”