Every day, I am surrounded by data\u2014student enrollment figures, graduation trends, budget allocations, course loads, and more. And I love it. When people ask my wife how I like my job, she simply says, \u201cIt\u2019s like a kid who gets to play his favorite game every day.\u201d I would then always add, \u201cand every night,\u201d because sometimes I get so immersed in the data\u2014trying to understand it, interpret it, and make it meaningful for others\u2014that I completely lose track of time.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s the real reason I love my job: it\u2019s not just about crunching numbers. It\u2019s about telling the story behind them\u2014in a way that\u2019s meaningful to others.\u00a0 In a way that is clear.\u00a0 In a way that translates to actionable decisions.<\/p>\n
We live in a time when access to data and research is easier than ever before. What\u2019s harder? Making sense of it. As Simon Maechling recently put it, \u201cAccess to information is no longer the barrier. Understanding it is.\u201d That resonates deeply for me.<\/p>\n
Higher education is full of smart, dedicated people making tough decisions. My role is to make sure they have clear, accurate, and digestible insights when they do so that they can make data informed decisions. That means translating complex datasets into something that actually speaks to the questions leaders, faculty, and students are asking. I often hear the phrase on campus, make it Sesame Street simple, and that\u2019s truly my goal.\u00a0 To take these massive datasets and make them easy to understand.<\/p>\n
BUT, it\u2019s not just about statistical significance\u2014it\u2019s about institutional significance.<\/p>\n
The flood of dashboards and reports can be overwhelming for anyone. What matters is pulling out what\u2019s relevant, highlighting what\u2019s actionable, and challenging assumptions with clarity, not complexity.\u00a0 Facts truly are friendly, whether they provide the insight you hoped for or not.\u00a0 They allow you to check the pulse on an idea, whether to breathe life into it or turn down another path.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the kind of storytelling I get to do with data. And that\u2019s why I keep showing up every day, excited to bridge the gap between raw information and real understanding.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s to being an effective and efficient storyteller, with data.<\/p>\n
Brian M. Morgan
\nChief Data Officer, Marshall University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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