The ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians gives you the experiences of four statisticians who took different paths after their master’s degrees. In previous issues, we featured Kathryn Irvine—who earned a PhD—and Mark Otto and Allison Florance—who earned their master’s. This month, Erin Twomey-Wilson explains why she found a master’s degree to be the best fit for her.
Statistics has consistently been part of my academic career. Since meteorology was always a passion, I took every science and math class to prepare—including statistics. On the way, I met a mentor and friend, Professor Silva, who drew me into earth science.
After my bachelor’s, my first job was in environmental wastewater hazard sampling. I took the samples from waste-carrying trucks—it was a nasty job. My mentor encouraged me to go into physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to earn a master’s.
At the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, I walked into my first class and the all-male class and teacher were surprised to see me. Nobody wanted to work with me because I was the only female. Therefore, I spent my time doing homework with the undergraduate physics students. They made my time in graduate school enjoyable. Math was the universal language not just in physics but also in earth science, oceanography, and physical science. As a teaching assistant, my mentor arranged for me to teach an undergraduate course in earth science and meteorology.
I developed my love for statistics while writing my thesis on the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation on in-situ sea surface temperatures in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. I looked for patterns in the temporal correlations. This could be important to understand how the pole to equator temperature difference decreases affect climate change. The completion of my physics degree allowed me to master high-level math courses that would prepare me well for my next academic achievement. On the personal side, I married my husband, Stephen, a front-end web developer who thought my interest in math was cool.
My physics degree led me to my dream job as a research analyst with the US Geological Survey (USGS) at Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in 2006. While continuing to work at the USGS, I earned a US Department of Agriculture Certificate of Accomplishment in meteorology. I worked there until the 2012 downturn, when they let all contractors go. My statistics background led me to a job working for a health insurance company a couple months later. I quickly realized actuarial work was not the path I wanted to take and decided to get a master’s degree in statistics.
I worked all online for my second master’s, a thousand miles away at Penn State. Probability theory nearly killed me. My employer paid for my master’s and the company actuaries helped me at lunch, even looking over my homework. I used every other resource, too, including paying for tutors and crashing online study sessions. My statistics degree gave me the confidence and knowledge to leave my job and pursue a career I love.
Now I specialize in research and evaluation of college access programs. I love brainstorming, collaborating, designing, and analyzing my own surveys. There is a seven-year grant cycle during which I test the effectiveness of different programs, tracking low-income and first-generation students in sixth grade through college to job interviews. In one analysis, I showed a 40 percent increase in graduation rates of students who matriculate to four-year colleges versus two-year community colleges. Statistics is making college accessible to many Rhode Island students. Imagine that!
My master’s-only career is varied and has allowed for a wide variety of work and experiences. I have the ability to jump into a different field, take continuing education courses, and tailor my training to make me more valuable.
I have thought about getting a PhD, especially when I have been cut out of conversations with PhDs who think someone with a master’s has nothing to contribute. Maybe I am missing out on opportunities or higher pay but, at mid-career, I can take on anything with my master’s and a few continuing education courses at JSM. I am thrilled with the direction my career and life have taken. Not getting a PhD was the right decision for me.
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