Student Spotlight | Minh Truc Nguyen
We’re thrilled to spotlight one of our talented MSSP students, Minh Truc Nguyen, whose journey from electrical engineering to statistics showcases the versatility and impact of the MSSP program. With a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and professional experience at companies like Duracell and SynQor, this student has always been drawn to problem-solving. However, a growing curiosity about data and its connection to societal trends led them to pursue the MSSP program.
Professional Background before MSSP
I’ve worked as a B2B engineer at Duracell testing and analyzing the company and the competitors’ batteries performance. I’ve also worked as a Product Engineer at SynQor to troubleshoot production failures of military power supplies and implement solutions to improve manufacturing yields. I appreciated the problem-solving skills that come with engineering and it’s something I will continue to utilize. However, I find myself missing math and wanting to not just analyze data but more so, I wanted to develop a curious mindset of how to look at data and connect it to past/present events to help me understand society a bit more.
What Sparked the Shift to Statistics?
I think my initial interest in statistics comes from sports betting and card-game odds. I always thought it was so cool when the score of a sport game resulted just barely above or below the predicted spread. Being in MSSP showed me that these calculations are not totally based on “luck or magic”, but rather it’s analyzing data and using techniques along with knowledge in the area of interest to come up with predictions. MSSP has certainly helped me to spend time with the data closely before jumping into any modeling techniques because a simple model with accurate and precise data tells a more generalized story than one with the complex model and bias data.
Key Takeaways from MSSP
The growth mindset that I’ve developed in MSSP is something that I’ve experienced to have the most impact on my learning. Being in a tight-knit master program where the professors and students know each other on a first-name basis encourages active participation.
This environment has shaped me to be a more active learner by processing information in real time instead of just taking down notes to review later. It also provides a safe space to ask questions, make mistakes, and embrace the initial growing pains. As Prof. Haviland said, it’s not about making mistakes, it’s about making them fast enough ..!
I think the “P (Practice)” in MSSP does a great job at providing professional experience while engaging in an academic program. The practicum consulting and partner projects provide us with opportunities to interact with clients, analyze their data and draw conclusions to help them make the appropriate business decisions. The practicum also provides an experience to navigate working cross-functionally on a team and effectively leveraging each member’s talents to optimize the team’s performance.
Advice for Prospective Students
MSSP can be tailored to what you need/want it to be. It is the perfect bridge between theory and practice. It provides various opportunities to enhance your technical knowledge and leadership skills. The professors and teaching fellows are always ready to listen to our goals and guide us towards positions to succeed.
The Most Valuable Aspect: Community
The most valuable aspect for me in MSSP is the community. The support from faculty/staff and peers is something I really appreciate. The tight-knit design of the program, especially the consulting and partner projects along with the discussions in the practicum really brings the group together.
Through sharing our thoughts on appropriate model selections and diagnostics to having open-discussion connecting our work to current events and navigating ethics and decision-making regarding data in the workforce, I definitely feel that this is a safe space to have these in-depth conversations.
Interested in learning more about the MSSP program? Reach out to us today!