Employee Spotlight: Rob Kneuper – Expert Economist

by info-services@infotechinc.com | Aug 24, 2020 | Blog

“Oh, my first impression was that everybody was having way too much fun.” 

About three years ago, Rob Kneuper joined Infotech Consulting as an economic expert. 

“In my years of working in large consulting firms, we would joke around a bit, but for the most part it was very serious – there were many millions of dollars on the line. There was a sense of intense focus that I was used to. So I thought there’s way too much laughing going on here, this is serious analytical work. I had to get used to that to relax and have fun.” 

Even as a remote employee, the energy was contagious. 

“Between Jim [McClave] and Jamie [McClave Baldwin], the leadership is amazing, just the vision that they have and the compassion. I tell people that Jamie’s the first female boss I’ve ever had and also the best boss I’ve ever had,” Rob chuckles.

Behind his ocean-themed Zoom background a child laughs and a dog’s paws skitter across the floor. For most people, this is a new normal. For Rob, it’s been normal for a while.  

Rob has always worked remotely for Infotech Consulting from his home in Charleston, SC. With four children still at home and four others already gone, his career of expert consulting has been but one of many exciting adventures in his life. 

The dog pops into view on screen – an 80 pound chocolate labrador retriever named Charlie, who is, as Rob puts it, “a very good boy.” One of the kids waves at the webcam and retreats to the living room. 

“They’re doing electronics right now – TikTok or something,” Rob says. “They keep me on my toes. Energy is the biggest challenge, because they have it and I usually don’t by the end of the day.”

Even so, being with his family is the highlight of his day, he says, and bike rides and beach afternoons together are how he spends most of his down time – but not all of it. 

“I recently bought what I call my Midlife Crisis Mobile, which is a BMW convertible,” he says. “When I need to escape from my children, or after a long day, I usually just go driving off in my BMW convertible and pretend that all of my responsibilities don’t exist for a while.”

Economic expert consulting is hard work. Part brainstorming, part reviewing information, part creative problem solving and part client interaction, it’s a recipe that looks different every day for a job that is never dull.  

“It’s mostly a lot of geeky analytical stuff,” Rob says.  “We don’t actually go to court very often.” 

But when he does have the opportunity to testify in court, Rob says the experience is very dynamic.

“You don’t know where it’s going to go and you just have to have a deep confidence that wherever it goes, you’ll be able to deal with it,” he says.  

Building that confidence is no easy feat. The ability to feel prepared on the stand primarily stems from the intensive research done by the consulting team, leaving no path untraveled and no stone unturned, but there’s an inner certainty that must be strengthened as well. Rob has found that one of his personal interests plays a role in this self-assurance. 

“I’m fascinated by psychology, particularly dream therapy. I am not infrequently interpreting the direction of my dreams, which are fascinating. So from a dream therapy point of view, dreams help you become more conscious of the things you’re not aware of,” he says.
“I grew up as an athlete and my dad was a pro baseball player and so there was always a lot of performance anxiety and this one dream is helping to confirm that I’m beyond that, you know, not feeling the anxiety so much as the ability to adapt and be flexible.” 

He thinks about the next question for a minute before answering: What’s his favorite thing about economics? Check out his latest article on the plight of small businesses in the COVID-19 economy. 

“Right now, there’s this kind of business economics that I do feel pretty passionate about. I think about how we are going to adapt economically to what you might call a pandemic-prone economy going forward.” 

Business models will need to change and become more flexible, he says. They will have to find ways to facilitate the ability to work remotely, but at the same time help people to develop relationships.

“One of the things we get out of work is being productive, but we also get a lot out of the relationships and friendships that we build,” Rob explains. “I mean, we work at Infotech because we feel satisfied in our work, but also because we really enjoy the people we’re working with. And I have to say, having worked for a number of different firms, it’s very rare that you have that kind of enthusiasm that people have here at Infotech. It’s a terrific atmosphere.”

From the Statistics Classroom to the Real World: Takeaways from a Consulting Internship – Hayden Hampton

by info-services@infotechinc.com | Aug 20, 2020 | Blog

Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you that I have always had a plan. I recently graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Statistics.  I entered the working world with a sense of optimism and options for my future. I was fortunate to have been able to create a career around a subject I am passionate about. Acquiring an understanding of foundational statistical theory and possessing an entry level amount of technical ability opened the door for me to become one of four consulting interns for Infotech Consulting during the summer of 2020. With every plan, there are variables beyond one’s control. With that notion in mind, I learned a great deal during my internship.

Imagine learning a subject in depth for years to then find out you were told only half the story. That’s a realization I came to after focusing on the theoretical side of statistics for most of my college experience. In a classical learning environment, you are provided structured problems with unambiguous solutions. In a perfect world, you would have all the information you need at your disposal to solve problems with statistics. Unfortunately, the real world is filled with complex, messy, ambiguous, and sometimes fraudulent information. 

Consulting work is a fast-paced environment that requires constant adaptation. A normal week may involve working with multiple teams on various cases that are completely unrelated. Natural curiosity and a desire to learn for its own sake seemed to be a common characteristic shared by all the consultants. It became clear that understanding the justifications behind theoretical approaches was just as important as correctly applying the technical methodologies.

It was important to me to come into the internship with an open mind. I didn’t want to have expectations based on my own preconceived notions. In retrospect, this was a wise decision. There’s a misconception that learning ends when you complete your formal education, while in reality the importance of keeping an open mind and continuing to engage in learning is key to long-term success. When you enter a field with minimal experience, you are often faced with the challenge of not knowing the right questions to ask. As cliché as it sounds, you don’t know what you don’t know. Being aware of that and striving to never stop learning is imperative in consulting work. 

While often overlooked, I believe preparing for the internship ahead of time played a large role in my success. There is a big difference between academia and the real world. Technical skills in this line of work are critical. I put forward my best effort to ensure my skill set was at the expected level going into the position. Surprisingly, soft skills and the ability to interact and effectively communicate turned out to be just as valuable as any technical skill I learned. The importance of this was underscored when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the only option was to work remotely.

Even when you know what questions to ask after developing a strong foundation, the real way to differentiate yourself is knowing when to ask those questions.  

My personal takeaway is that Infotech Consulting is using the strongest tools available to make sense of data in an imperfect world. The statistician George Box said, “Essentially all models are wrong, but some are useful.” Over the course of my internship, it was a humbling experience to get a glimpse into how much I still have to learn. Paired with a new-found appreciation of what it could mean for my future, it was an easy decision. It’s clear that the excitement and fulfillment of consulting work begins only after you’re able to see the big picture and that starts with understanding basic principles. 

Summer 2020 Intern Reflection

by info-services@infotechinc.com | Aug 13, 2020 | Blog

In May of 2020, our four summer interns braved the new world of remote internships. In years past, the Infotech Consulting interns have co-occupied the large southeast corner office on the third floor of our headquarters in Gainesville, Florida. Due to the coronavirus, our offices converted to a remote work situation. Knowing the immense mutual benefits of our intern program and the flexibility of remote work, all four interns chose to help us adapt our program to a remote experience.

After weeks of zoom calls, sifting through data, documents and SAS programming, our interns have reached the end of their time with the team. During their last week, we asked them to reflect on their experience and give us a peek into what is next in their lives and careers.

What was the most memorable aspect of your Infotech Consulting internship?

Alejandro Michel: Aside from all the fancy data management skills that I picked up from this internship, I really enjoyed the weekly lunch meetings between my intern cohorts and the two new full-time hires; it’s fascinating how they each have different skills and virtues that allow them to thrive at Infotech. One thing we do have in common is a competitive edge to score points when playing CodeNames, haha. I don’t know if I just got lucky to be part of this cohort, or if people are amazing everywhere, but I’m glad we’ve made the most out of our non-traditional intern experience.

Hallie Miller: I did not know much at all about litigation before I got here, so everything I learned about the litigation process was certainly memorable. However, I think the most memorable aspect would have to be the people. Even working in a remote environment because of the pandemic, I still got a taste of the wonderful community Infotech has. Everyone I worked with while I was here or had any sort of interaction with was great!

Hayden Hampton: My most memorable aspect of the internship was being able to work with the expert econometricians and statisticians. Over the summer, I read many of the reports written by experts and engaged with them on a regular basis. This internship provided me with the opportunity to see firsthand how much value an individual with a strong foundation in theoretical material can provide.

We had another Infotech Consulting first this year with Kevin Fernandez and the ITI Ventures program. Teaming up with a local Gainesville startup Evren Technologies, Infotech Consulting sponsored an intern that would collaborate with the Data Management team to take their product designed to aid people suffering with PTSD to the next level.

Kevin Fernandez: Working closely with the folks at Evren Technologies has definitely been the best part of my internship. I got the opportunity to engage in fascinating conversations about an interesting scientific subject, as well as learn about the kind of work that goes into making such a device, as their Phoenix prototype, possible.

What was the most unexpected part of your experience?

Alejandro Michel: I was pleasantly surprised that the consulting team uses SAS^® Studio, as opposed to other SAS environments, for programming. This made it extremely easy for me to hit the road running with tasks, and focus more on coding, rather than spending time trying to adapt to a new environment. Aside from the technical side, I was also pleasantly surprised by how seamless of a transition it was to remote work. I think the stellar employees at Infotech are what create that vicarious camaraderie from home–it’s impossible to fail when you have such a supportive team by your side.

Hallie Miller: I wasn’t sure what to expect from case development work, so I’m not sure that I can say that any of the work was unexpected. One thing that did surprise me, however, was that my nitpickiness did not seem nitpicky to the case development team. I am a very detail-oriented person, and formatting of citations matters to me. In my first meeting of the whole internship with the case development team, they were talking about what they like and dislike in citation styles, and I was surprised that a whole group of people cared about them like I did. It turns out we are all detail-oriented in case development. Later in the summer, I noticed a discrepancy in how depositions were cited in the footnotes of a report. I was going to ask my team about it, but was also worried about sounding too finicky. Then, before I had the chance to ask about it, my supervisor mentioned seeing the same discrepancy. It conveyed to me that my very detail-oriented nature that I often worry could annoy others is actually shared by some people and can be valued.

Hayden Hampton: Surprisingly, soft skills and the ability to interact and effectively communicate turned out to be just as valuable as any technical skill I learned. The importance of this was underscored with the spread of COVID-19, and the only option was to work remotely.

Kevin Fernandez: The most unexpected part of my experience was definitely the particular domain to which I went on to apply the data analysis skills I cultivated in the classroom. While doing my undergrad, I would have never imagined being involved in a biomedical engineering setting doing data analytics to aid in designing a product that could help treat PTSD. I learned a lot about a subject that I never really knew existed prior to this internship, and I could not be more grateful to be involved.

Where are you headed after your internship?

Alejandro Michel: I will return for my final semester of graduate school at Florida State University (ending Dec. 2020), after which I plan to start working full time. 

Hallie Miller: I’m heading into my senior year of college at Furman University! I will be graduating in May but do not yet know if I will be working after that or pursuing more education.

Hayden Hampton: I’m entering my second year as a PhD student in the Big Data Analytics Program at the University of Central Florida. At the end of August I’ll be teaching a class called Sample Survey Methods at UCF. I’m also in the process of submitting a proposal for a fellowship grant in the field of artificial intelligence with the National Science Foundation. 

Kevin Fernandez: After my internship, I’m planning on attending Georgia Tech to pursue an MS in Analytics where I can further hone my data analysis skills to apply in all sorts of domains. This particular internship has made me aware of a fascinating niche that uses data analysis regularly and has convinced me to seek out other opportunities like this in the future, mainly because of the immense potential to help change people’s lives.

A very special thank you to Alejandro Michel, Hallie Miller, Hayden Hampton, and Kevin Fernandez for evolving the Infotech Consulting intern program. The curiosity and passion you add to our team is long-lasting. Good luck in your next chapter, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Employee Spotlight: Michael Smith – Data Management Specialist

by info-services@infotechinc.com | Jul 23, 2020 | Blog

Adaptability and open-mindedness are key traits when working for Infotech Consulting. After all, to sift through and understand mountains of data and then find keen insights from it, one has to be able to problem solve – a skill for which those traits are a necessity. 

After graduating with his Masters in Economics from UF and joining the Consulting team amidst a pandemic that postponed his trip to Europe and thrust him into the middle of an unprecedented experiment in remote team-building, it’s safe to say that Infotech Consulting’s newest Data Management Specialist, Michael Smith, is more than prepared for the role. As he planned to enter his career, he said, he was given some good advice during the transition: 

“Don’t forget to live your life, my friend.” 

“I’m very driven and I find satisfaction in striving towards goals, but it’s also easy to be consumed by them. I think it’s important to remain mindful and it’s something I try to work on every day,” he said. (You can read up on the mental preparedness Michael practiced leading up to his GRE here.)

Even over a Zoom call, it’s evident that Michael genuinely does follow this advice. His demeanor emanates an awareness of optimism and steadiness. He mentions a book, The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor, that greatly impacted his approach to his future. 

“The premise of the book is that we’re taught in life that if we work really, really hard and we’re successful, then we will be happy,” Michael said, “But Achor says that we have it all wrong; if we focus on being happier in the present, it’ll actually make us more productive, more creative and more successful. There’s a TED talk about this concept, too.”

It’s rare to find a team more present and happy in their work than the Infotech Consulting crew, and Michael fits right in. 

“I’m really excited to be here, because I think it’s meaningful work. I enjoy working on something that contributes to positive social outcomes. And I think that doing something that has a purpose behind it is really meaningful to me.”

His path to a career in data management started early – quite early, in fact. In middle school, he started working at the local rec center as a scorekeeper for the basketball leagues. 

“I quickly learned how to be detail oriented. I kept the score and the stats and the men were definitely very, very competitive, so if they knew something was wrong they would be on your case about it. I definitely had to be on my A-game at all times.”

When the Consulting team met Michael at his intern interview they knew he was the type of employee Infotech strives to hire, according to Paul Manning, Data Management Director. Michael was young, Paul said, but a year later when he accepted a summer internship he proved their first impression was right through his diligence about his work and conscientious approach to getting the job done right. 

“He is curious about all we do and why, and is just a really nice guy,”  Paul said. “It was a no-brainer that we would offer him a full-time job when he graduated.”

A self proclaimed extrovert, Michael said that remote work hasn’t been as much of a challenge as he thought, and although the pandemic put his post-grad travel plans on hold, it inspired a new routine for connecting with old friends. 

“In college, I got to meet so many different unique cool people, a lot of whom I’ll have lifelong relationships with,” Michael said. “Now that we’re scattered across the country, whether for graduate school or working, honestly it’s almost been better than before because we never really took the time to try to connect with video calls and having this situation sort of incentivized us. I feel like it’s a habit we will probably carry on even after this is all over.”

Along with Zoom catch-ups, social distancing is a great opportunity to catch up on shows that one may have missed during the last decade of content on the silver screen. For Michael, that included a first-time viewing of the number one Netflix show of 2019, The Office. Though, he’s not entirely sure why it has that spot on the list. 

“I would go as far as saying it’s overrated. I mean, you can put that in my article as a defining characteristic of my personality – completely editorial – you can throw it in: Michael thinks that The Office is a bit overrated and I’ll take all the heat,” he said, with a good-humored shrug. 

All fictional offices aside, Michael said he’s excited for the day he does get to join his coworkers on the third floor of the Infotech headquarters in Gainesville. Until then, he’ll enjoy the time at home with his two puggles, Lulu and Toby, and plan his trip to Europe for another day.