Today we’re spotlighting Michael Ruddy, Data Science Manager at Qventus. Read on to hear about Michael’s background, learn about his favorite parts of working at Qventus, and discover his hidden talent.
What’s your role at Qventus?
I’m the data science manager at Qventus. I lead a team of data scientists that work with our R&D team to develop new AI-powered interventions and to improve our existing ones. This involves partnering with other teams in the organization, such as working with our product and delivery team to create the best possible tool for our end users or working with our data engineering team to help build a data pipeline to our models. I also work on data science team initiatives geared towards improving the team’s ability to develop and deliver machine learning and statistical algorithms.
Where are you based?
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Can you share some background on yourself?
I am Puerto Rican, and I grew up in Puerto Rico and Tennessee. My wife and I moved to Waterloo, Ontario a few years ago.
My career background is in academia, in the field of pure math. I graduated from North Carolina State with my PhD in Mathematics. After graduation, I did postdocs at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences and at the Data Institute at University of San Francisco. My research area was at the intersection of differential and algebraic geometry with connections to computer vision. I also really enjoyed teaching and mentoring students.
At the Data Institute, I became interested in recent advances in computer vision and mentored groups of graduate students who were developing models on medical imaging data. After I joined the University of San Francisco as an Assistant Professor in the MS in Data Science Program, I continued to work on applications of AI to healthcare. That work led me to eventually deciding to make the leap to Qventus.
Which Qventus value resonates most with you and why?
The value of “Helping Others Succeed” is the guiding light in my day-to-day work. It embodies my favorite aspect of Qventus’ culture that we are all working together, and no one is trying to one-up someone else. I can freely give advice, time, and energy to others and know that they will appreciate it and find it useful.
What’s your favorite Qventus memory to date?
My favorite Qventus memory was going on-site to Jackson Memorial for an Inpatient product go-live. I shadowed Multi-Disciplinary Rounds and saw care teams use our application and interact with our AI intelligence. It turned the work I was doing from an abstract data science task to something real and impactful…and to see them being utilized in a way that made the care team’s life easier and helped them care for their patients was uplifting. I also learned a ton about how the care team thinks about discharge planning. There is no substitute for seeing our product in action!
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part is getting feedback from users. When it’s positive, it feels good because it is a job well done. Negative feedback is also rewarding; it’s what drives our hard work. Hearing that users have some unmet need or want different from what we are offering is the fuel that powers our innovation. I can handle any degree of positive or negative feedback over radio silence!
What’s your secret talent?
I usually make fresh chapatis (rotis) when my wife and I cook at home. It started as a way to impress my in-laws, but now I’ve gotten pretty good. My secret ingredient is using blended silken tofu instead of water to bind them. This makes them soft and healthy!
What are your top 3 favorite books, podcasts, or movies?
Top Movie: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Top Book: Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett
Top TV Show: Battlestar Galactica (2004) / Top Chef
If you could have dinner with any historical or famous figure, who would it be and why?
Like many people in the world, I am a fan of Bad Bunny. I would love to talk to him about his artistic progression in recent years, and his recent foray into local politics would also make for an interesting conversation.
