Weber State Education for the AI Work Environment:
Means Real-World Application & Lasting Relationships.
College of Science — August 13th, 2026
Students sometimes complain that what they learn in school has no real-world use. While it can be annoying to work through calculus problems by hand when professionals use computers to solve them, there are instances where the work one does is directly related to what one learns in school. I want to share my experience with the Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) classes, projects, and faculty mentorship that, for me, translated into real-world work applications and lasting relationships.
Econometrics - Roberts' expertise
I started at Seis, a mobile banking company, in July 2025 as a data analyst, supporting the executive and risk management teams. Long story short, when the head of credit (risk) left the company in October 2025, the responsibility for managing risk fell on my shoulders and my CTO's.
At the time, I was taking Econometrics with Gavin Roberts, Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Weber State University. Econometrics is all about studying systems that are endogenous, things like economies and ecosystems; it just so happens that econometrics is the perfect course for risk management!
Using the techniques I was learning in class, I successfully managed risk. I frequently talked with Roberts about work and the problems I was facing in this company. Our many conversations greatly shaped my application of econometric techniques, which in turn aided the company in a real, consequential way.
Thesis - Zwick's solution
When working on my thesis, my director and I were stumped. We needed to find a way to identify recurring payments in transaction data, but our solutions were becoming increasingly long-winded. We had been researching the problem for three months at this point, and our solutions had become too complex.
We decided we needed a third perspective, a fresh viewpoint to get us out of the rut. I reached out to Dylan Zwick, assistant professor of computer science, explained how we were approaching the problem, and asked if he had any ideas. With one conversation, he understood the problem and came up with a straightforward, simple solution. After implementing his solution, voilà, we had our approach.
Zwick's approach became our initial baseline and stepping stone to a more robust, business-ready solution. That conversation with Zwick reshaped the trajectory of our project and led to a solution useful to competing services like Rocket Money.
Mentorship - Muthunayake's support
Linear Algebra is fascinating, and generally under-appreciated as it should be, haha! When I took Linear Algebra in the Summer of 2024 from Amila Muthunayake, assistant professor of mathematics, I had many questions about the material. I would frequently talk with him after class to better understand last time's homework or the lecture's details. On multiple occasions, Muthunayake spent the time to make sure I understood the subject and was an incredible help in learning the topic.
The next semester, I reached out about some curiosities in the topic. This led to working together that semester, outside of class, on a potential project to predict stock prices and improve investing. I learned a great deal about studying and how to really grapple with important studies from Muthunayake on this project. Although this project was abandoned for my thesis, I am incredibly grateful for the effort and time he put into teaching me. He is an all-star teacher and mentor.
Gavin Roberts, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Economics
Dylan Zwick, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Computer Science
Amila Muthunayake, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mathematics
Concluding Thoughts
Although the idea that classroom skills don't apply to the real world is frequently repeated, my experience at Weber State has shown me the opposite. Throughout my academic journey, the practical coursework directly strengthened my technical abilities in professional settings, while campus resources provided guidance. The connections and mentorship I built with Weber State faculty have extended beyond campus, actively shaping my professional path and supporting me outside the classroom.
Ready to upgrade your work environment?
Weber State Master of Science in Data Science
Feature Writer
Nate Bradshaw
Master of Science in Data Science
student writer
MSDS Program Director
Julian Chan
Professor of mathematics
julianchan@weber.edu
Feature Editor
Ali Miller
College of Science
marketing and communications manager
amiller@weber.edu