Career Profile – Roi Eclarin

Roi Eclarin is proof that a mathematics degree can lead to great opportunities for those just starting out in their career. Roi is a Software Performance Engineer for MKS, a global leader in software development and management. He was recruited for this position as a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Mathematics/Computer Science program, and he’s not alone: many other members of his team are graduates of the same program.

MKS software is used in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, medical, aerospace, and the federal government. Roi and his team members are responsible for assessing the performance of MKS software for customers. This task involves developing a test harness for the software, and analyzing and investigating performance issues resulting from the testing as well as those found within customer’s live environments.

Math plays a significant role in Roi’s work. “Since we’re involved with the system’s performance, a working knowledge of algorithmic complexity and statistical analysis is necessary,” says Roi. Understanding the statistical significance of the performance test results and reporting this information to the architecture team is also a large part of his job.

Roi developed an early interest in mathematics thanks to his parents, who he says “always instilled a good understanding of basic mathematical concepts as part of growing up.” As a result he excelled in mathematics in high school, and developed an interest in the related subject of computer programming. The Mathematics/Computer Science program at the University of Waterloo allowed him to take the best advantage of his knowledge and interests.

Not surprisingly, Roi feels that a mathematics degree has been a great advantage to his career. “I initially started at MKS as a co-op student, and was hired on full-time right out of university,” he says. “Our company places a high value on anyone with a Mathematics/Computer Science degree.”