Wooster Graduate Extols the Value of I.S. and a Liberal Arts Education

Michael Rulf speaks to mathematics and computer science students and faculty about the value of I.S. and a liberal arts education during a recent visit to campus.

WOOSTER, Ohio - Michael Rulf, vice president for advanced engineering with USi, an AT&T Company that provides on-demand technology services for Fortune 1000 companies, returned to campus recently to deliver an important message to undergraduates: I.S. works, and so does a liberal arts education.

Rulf, who graduated from Wooster in 1993 with an unusual combination of majors (computer science and theatre), sung the praises of just about everything his alma mater had to offer, particularly the I.S. experience and the rigors of the Wooster curriculum.

Rulf, whose I.S. dealt with designing a way to automate theatrical lighting through software he developed for a Macintosh computer, spoke to a group of computer science/mathematics students and faculty members in Taylor Hall.

Specifically, Rulf outlined how several key components of I.S. (Wooster's nationally renowned Independent Study program in which students research a topic of their choosing with a faculty member and produce an undergraduate thesis at the end of the project) prepare students for a career as a consultant.

According to Rulf, there are four basic areas of consulting: (1) functional, which calls for the implementation of traditional software; (2) technical, which requires a link between business and technology; (3) process, in which consultants optimize how a business operates; and (4) internal, in which project-based companies use their own in-house consultants. In all four cases, lessons learned from the I.S. experience can be put to good use.

"Consulting requires critical analysis and a cross-disciplinary approach," he said. "In the I.S. process, a student not only has to define a problem, but also to develop a plan to address the situation and then sell that plan to a faculty advisor. That's very similar to what we do as consultants."

Rulf went on to identify some of the other life skills that come through the I.S. experience. "Speaking and general presentation skills developed through I.S. are very important in the world of business technology," he said. "Strong organizational and managerial skills are also essential, as are excellent writing skills. I.S. helps students in each of these areas."

Denise Byrnes, professor of mathematics and computer science who co-advised Rulf's I.S. with Dale Seeds, professor of theatre, raved about her former student, particularly his I.S. "It was beautifully written and quite unusual," she said. "It was one of the most interesting I.S. projects I have had in my 16 years at Wooster, and it was well ahead of its time."

In reflecting on his four years at Wooster, Rulf expressed gratitude for being pushed to excel, even more than her was in graduate school. This gave him a competitive advantage in the workplace, and he encouraged current students to follow in his footsteps. "Consulting is interesting and exciting," he said. "Plus, you get to do a lot of cool stuff."