Matthew Schuckmann
Words to Live By: Excellence in Graduate Study Award Recipient Matthew Schuckmann Follows Maxim from Faculty to “Reduce Complexity”
Matthew Schuckmann
Investigator, United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality Operations
MS in Software Development (MET’20)
What do you find most fascinating about the discipline of software development? Do you have a particular focus within the broader field?
My favorite part of software development is the creative process. There’s real artistic freedom in choosing what to make and how to bring it into the world. Importantly, there are so few barriers to creating software, at least on the scale of what I enjoy doing. We are living at a time when open source software and affordable hardware provide an infinite canvas for almost anyone, anywhere, who feels drawn to this kind of creativity.
My focus tends to change frequently. I’ve been a hobbyist programmer for many years, free to hop from topic to topic without consequence. However, I do recognize that constraints can be helpful. When you absolutely must commit to a technology and go deep with it, clearly there can be a lot of opportunity for growth. In my free time, I am currently going deep with Android app development.
Did you always intend on going back to school, or did the need arise at a particular moment?
I never intended to go back to school, certainly not back to a traditional on-campus program. Years ago, I was enrolled in a PhD program in immunology at a large state school, but I dropped out after publishing some research and passing my comprehensive exams. The work really didn’t interest me after a certain point, and going further meant forever narrowing my career to some very specific, esoteric, limited area of expertise.
Over the years, I found lots of ways to make my personal and professional life easier through writing batch scripts or macros in office applications. As a hobbyist I could write some procedural code, but I was missing a fundamental understanding of how modern applications were constructed and how teams might work together on large projects. After researching BU MET’s online MS in Software Development program, I was certain it would be my best bet for bringing real structure to my learning.
Congratulations on your high achievement in the Master of Science in Software Development (MSSD) program and your Award for Excellence in your studies! Looking back, what do you consider to be the main ingredients of your success?
Thank you for the kind words! The main ingredient to my success was keeping a positive state of mind, and taking that mind state to a level that requires intention and work to maintain. Meditation and mindfulness have been crucial for me. Finding space between myself and my thoughts has allowed me to more easily discard unhelpful thoughts and reactions in favor of helpful ones. When I got criticism, I could genuinely feel thanks and take it constructively. When I was particularly challenged by a subject, I could see it as an opportunity rather than a burden.
How were you able to successfully balance your studies with your commitments outside the classroom?
Balance was achieved through a good relationship with my wife. Honest, open discussions about how much time and energy I would be devoting to the program were needed before and throughout the process. This program was also a lot of work for her. She picked up additional responsibilities we had shared prior to my studies while remaining unbelievably supportive and understanding. During my 18 months of study we both worked full time, improved and sold our home for a modest profit, moved to a different state, and both changed jobs. We are a very busy couple. Losing time relaxing on the weekends was nowhere near as difficult as losing time spent with her during those small, everyday moments where life really happens.
Was your success in the program driven by a particular outcome—such as professional advancement, educational achievement, personal satisfaction, or something else?
Professional advancement was a motivating factor, even though I value genuine intellectual achievement first and foremost. Over the years I’ve found tons of ways of applying programmatic approaches to solve workplace problems. One can easily imagine how these skills lend themselves to the data analysis involved in scientific law enforcement.
Entering the program as a hobbyist may have provided a small advantage in that I don’t resent programming as something I must do as a major professional obligation. It is labor I perform for its own sake, something that enhances my life without necessarily sustaining it. There is an analogy to art here. Of course, being an outsider to the field means a much steeper learning curve.
Is there a particular course or project that enhanced your experience in the MSSD program?
I have very nice things to say about every professor, facilitator, and course I experienced at BU MET. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Advanced Programming Techniques (MET CS 622) with Dr. Eric Braude. The term project for this course was begun right at the start and continuously developed from there on. We students were given complete freedom over what our project would be, and how we were to integrate required concepts. It was the ideal grad school experience. As accomplished as Dr. Braude is, he was still a relatable person. This is a wonderful characteristic I found all BU MET professors seem to share. What set Dr. Braude apart for me, though, was that he’s one of those rare scientists who possesses the enthusiasm of an artist. I am a fan of his key principle: combat and reduce complexity. Applying this principle helped me a lot down the road with other courses. It’s a great maxim for life in general.
How do you plan to apply the skills and competencies you gained during your studies moving forward? What is next in store for you?
The path is the destination. I will keep learning and evolving my skillset. Professionally, there are many opportunities, seen and unseen, for me to apply these skills to my current career. Alternatively, there are many opportunities I could pursue directly within software development. I very much enjoy my current job, but it is always beneficial to have options. At home, I write my own home-brew applications. Some of these I might release as open-source, but it’s mostly rather niche stuff at the moment, without much obvious mass appeal.
You were recognized by faculty and peers for your hard work and dedication to the MSSD program. What “words of advice” or encouragement have served as a guiding principle, or simply inspiration, for you?
The more hard work you put in, the lighter the lift starts to feel. If you start to get overwhelmed, reach out to your advisor, to your facilitator, to your professor, to your classmates. You are surrounded by good, honest, competent people at BU MET. There is no getting around hard work in this program, but that is where the true value lies. Most importantly, the challenge BU MET presents is a fair one. You will clearly see what to prepare for along the way.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A quote from Dale Carnegie—“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” Thank you, BU MET, for helping us think better!