Meet Advanced Analytics R&D Senior Director Chris Gotwalt (@chris_gotwalt1)!
Chris is a curious and dedicated leader to our Statistical R&D team, and he loves that this role allows him to be creative in an innovative environment that has a real impact on the world.
In his free time, Chris enjoys hiking (both in nature and urban settings) and making food from scratch (ask him about his fermented hot sauce). Thanks for being part of the JMP Family, Chris!
Let’s learn a little more about Chris!
Where were you born?
York, Pennsylvania, USA
Where do you live/work now?
Raleigh, North Carolina
What was your first job?
Dishwasher
What is your role within JMP and what do you enjoy about your job?
Lead the Statistical R&D Team, develop numerical algorithms, put together EA videos and examples, and customer & conference presentations. I love being creative in an innovative environment that has a real impact on the world.
List three of your favorite hobbies.
1) Hiking, whether it is in nature or in cities.
2) Making food from scratch, things like pasta, curries, and fermented hot sauces.
3) Learning about the history of all different kinds of things, natural, biographical, and societies.
Describe yourself in three words.
Curious, dedicated, improvisational
"The pandemic really reoriented my life towards being outdoors and exploring the Appalachian mountains, in particular," Chris said. Here he is on one of his favorite hikes, in the Great Channels of Virginia, a maze of sandstone slot canyons at the top of Clinch Mountain in southwest Virginia."The pandemic really reoriented my life towards being outdoors and exploring the Appalachian mountains, in particular," Chris said. Here he is on one of his favorite hikes, in the Great Channels of Virginia, a maze of sandstone slot canyons at the top of Clinch Mountain in southwest Virginia.What book are you reading?
Appalachia, A History
What is your favorite movie genre?
Historical Fiction
What is the first web page you go to when you start work?
Wikipedia
If you could have a dinner party with five famous people, who would they be?
Andy Warhol, Bertrand Russell, Ira Glass, Jack Kerouac, and Dorothy Parker. I wouldn't get a word in, but it would be fun to watch.
What is your favorite podcast to listen to?
How Stuff Works
Name one JMP-related achievement that you’re proud of.
Knowing that my work has impacted so many things that touch all of our lives every day, from computer chips to life-saving medicines, to shampoo and dishwasher soap.
Name one thing most of your colleagues would be surprised to know.
I had a crippling fear of public speaking until I resolved in 2011 to force myself to do it over and over until I at least got over that fear. Now it's one of my favorite parts of my job.
Name one other person in the division who you admire and describe why in three sentences or fewer.
Jianfeng Ding (@jianfeng_ding), I've known her since I started graduate school in Statistics at NCSU in 1997. I've never known someone so dedicated for so long to mastering new skills and continuously improving at everything she does.
This or that?
What does Chris prefer? (answers in BOLD text)
- A mountain holiday or A seaside holiday
- Cat or Dog
- Hot chocolate or Coffee or Tea
- Graph Builder or JSL
- Picnic or Restaurant
- Cake or Pie
- Morning or Late night
- Introvert or Extrovert or Ambivert
- Silly or Serious
- High-tech or Low-tech
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