Meet Shari Rutherford, the new Institutional Research Analyst, who started in January 2020. She holds a BA from Swarthmore College and Master of Statistical Practice from Carnegie Mellon University. Before joining Harcum, she held a similar role at the University of Valley Forge, as well as serving as an adjunct professor for statistics and mathematics courses.
In this new role, one of her initial goals is to organize commonly asked data elements in a central place. A long term goal is to find underlying patterns that exist in the College data and use them to help the institution in the future. As someone who loves the color purple, she’s certainly in the right place. Shari also appreciates that her colleagues are knowledgeable about their fields and passionate about their work.
A new activity she recently started is hula hooping as part of a workout regimen. Shari also loves dancing and singing. Her favorite game is dominoes. “The best thing about dominoes is that it is relatively easy to learn, but difficult to master. It’s as much a people reading game as it is about actual skill.” She absolutely detests gum, but loves carrot, cheesecake, and carrot cake cheesecake.
Her favorite book is Esther (from the Bible), because it is about courage and faith, even when things seem grim. Favorite movies include The Devil Wears Prada, Mean Girls, and Hidden Figures because they brilliantly interweave humor and drama to create a compelling narrative.