What are our alumni doing?
Zack Weber
Graduation Year: ‘12
Major(s) and minor(s): math major, history minor
Post-grad education: GVSU ’17, MS in Biostatistic; ‘21 Ohio State University, PhD in Epidemiology
Current position: Senior Epidemiologist/Senior Study Director
Employer: Westat
The most helpful aspects of my undergraduate education in mathematics were: Problem solving. In my professional career I rarely come across a problem with a straightforward or singular correct answer. But the skills I learned in my undergraduate degree to approach a problem and truly think through it has allowed me to grow professionally.
The advice I’d offer to current undergraduate students in mathematics: What you learn from earning a mathematics degree can be applied to almost anything. While I may not use all of the skills that I learned during my undergraduate career, I use the intangible skills such as communication, logic, or problem solving to help me tackle difficult tasks and problems. These are likely what will be most helpful as you progress through your career and should be something you try to hone through your undergraduate studies.
In a typical day in my work, I: currently work on multiple federal government and private company contracts involving COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and outcome evaluation. My day to day work involves handling tasks related to, and advancing, these contracts. This includes data management, cleaning, and analyses. I lead multiple working groups that focus on vaccine effectiveness work and help by running meetings, writing analysis plans, implementing those plans, and drafting manuscripts for dissemination. I spend a lot of time coding in SAS and helping to troubleshoot routine analyses and reports that are shared internally, externally, and with project contractors (such as CDC). Additionally, I provide mentoring to junior staff and help fill in wherever there is analytical or data management needs.
Other thoughts/comments: I am happy to connect with any undergraduates that are looking to learn more about differing career pathways they can take/are interested in a mentoring opportunity. Happy to share advice/be someone they can chat with over zoom or coffee.
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