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During the 2015-2016 academic year, approximately 225 students and 205 alumni participated in the Alumni Job Shadowing Program. HCM asked two of these pairs to tell us more about their experience.
OLIVIA LAU ’17, mathematics and computer science double major reflects on her shadow day with
THOMAS P. JOYCE JR. ’82,
president and CEO of the Danaher Corporation
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s a mathematics and computer science double major at Holy Cross, I know that many career paths can fit my educational training. While my training might be highly technical, Holy Cross’s dedication to the liberal arts has instilled
in me the importance of exploring multidisciplinary applications of my skills. Edward Soares, associate professor of mathematics, introduced me to the Alumni Job Shadowing Program with Thomas P. Joyce Jr. ’82, president and CEO of the Danaher Corporation. Danaher, a large business in the U.S., coordinates the design, manufacture and marketing of industrial and consumer products. Its hundreds of subsidiaries use mathematics and computer science in conjunction with many other fields to create products used in biomedical testing, mass spectrometry and dental imaging systems, among others. During my two-day experience, I
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travelled to Chaska, Minnesota, with Mr. Joyce on his company plane, to attend operations and strategic meetings at Beckman Coulter, a Danaher subsidiary. While there, I attended meetings with leaders in senior management of both Danaher and Beckman Coulter as they discussed the company’s financial and innovative status compared to other businesses in the industry. Walking into the conference room, I was nervous to meet the top executives, but the feeling diminished after Mr. Joyce introduced me to the attendees. I sat next to Mr. Joyce during the meetings as he quietly explained some basic information that I needed to understand the presentation. We also got a tour of one of the laboratories, where a new blood testing
TOM RETTIG