More than Numbers: How Ezra Porter '23 MS Turns Data into Solutions

For Ezra Porter ’23 MS, statistics goes beyond numbers. At its best, he says, they provide a way of asking better questions, making sense of complex information and helping people solve problems that do not have straightforward answers.

That perspective is especially important in Porter’s work as a data scientist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he is part of the Cell and Gene Therapy Informatics Team. Collaborating with clinicians, researchers and clinical staff, he helps apply statistical and data-driven approaches to questions related to measurement, research and patient care.

“It’s really about collaborating and bringing different perspectives together,” Porter said. “We can often come up with something that’s better than either of us could do alone.”

The emphasis on collaboration and practical problem-solving was also central to Porter’s experience in Villanova’s Master of Science in Applied Statistics program. He said he was drawn to the program because it allowed him to develop his statistical expertise while continuing to work full time and, importantly, to apply what he was learning to the kinds of questions he encountered professionally.

Porter completed the program part time, often leaving work at 5 p.m. and heading to Villanova for evening classes. The schedule was demanding, but he found that the opportunity to immediately put ideas from the classroom into practice made the experience especially rewarding. He could also bring questions and data from his job into the classroom, then return to work with new ways of approaching them.

Porter’s approach reflects his interdisciplinary academic background. As an undergraduate, he studied political science and philosophy before moving into applied statistics. Porter said philosophy specifically continues to shape how he approaches data science by teaching him to formalize problems and think carefully about both the possibilities and limitations they may pose. 

At Villanova, Porter found faculty who encouraged that kind of deeper thinking. He especially remembers courses with Jesse Frey, PhD, whose teaching style Porter says encouraged students to question assumptions and explore ideas beyond the surface

“I always felt like I was investigating the material with him,” Porter said. When students are pushed beyond a simplified explanation, he added, Frey was able to “explain the next level.”

When pursuing graduate education, Porter liked how Villanova’s faculty were willing to work with him to develop a course of study that aligned with his interests and professional goals. Rather than expecting him to fit neatly into a predetermined path, the program gave him room to shape his graduate education around the questions he wanted to pursue.

“They were willing to say, ‘Let’s find a path that works for you,’” he says. “Working with me to make a program that’s useful for me was what sold me on it. And that was definitely a good call.”