Nick McMillan (M.A. ’17, M.S. ’20) enrolled at The University of Tulsa in pursuit of answering a question only literature could answer: How might judgment be better informed by close reading? This led him to pursue a graduate degree in English language and literature. UTulsa’s English department provided the curricula and space for an answer – and even more curiosity.
“I taught English in both the writing program and the English Institute for International Students at UTulsa before transitioning to a role in student services,” he explained. “Through my studies and work, I became more interested in how the information-dense and highly encoded data used for analytics informs decision-making in organizations.”
From this newly discovered interest, McMillan enrolled in the business analytics graduate program in UTulsa’s Collins College of Business. The program’s curriculum emphasizes innovation, pushing boundaries on statistics and mathematical modeling techniques to solve issues in global industries. McMillan collaborated on a team with international network, The Institute for Operations Research and Management Science, to roll out an analytics framework that is now being adopted across several industries.
“Combining the study of literature and practice of analytics from my programs prepared me in many ways for the work I do now as a data analyst for Family and Children’s Services, one of Oklahoma’s largest nonprofit behavioral health and treatment organizations,” he explained.
McMillan emphasized that both colleges nurtured his curiosities into his current role. Mentored by Holly Laird, Ph.D., professor emeritus of English, McMillan worked as a writing consultant in the N. Wallace Writing Center, supporting students in improving their written communications and in the collaborative nature of writing. Associate Professor of Finance Eric Olson, Ph.D., taught McMillan how mathematical models can be used to inform decisions by representing patterns that appear in data or by accurately representing the nature of data-generating processes.
“In my practice now, I have a framework informed from these methods – understanding and developing products based on purpose, context, costs and stakeholder perspective to drive meaningful impact,” he explained.
Outside his career, McMillan said that Tulsa has become home. A native of Washington, he has made lifelong connections, joining groups at UTulsa such as the Shakespeare Reading Group, an annual writer’s retreat, and several nonprofits and initiatives.
“With its rich social fabric, deep roots in the community and thriving arts scene, in addition to the magnetic influence of the university, Tulsa has been an exceptional place to study and grow as a professional and contributor.”