Willamette University welcomes Kristen Gore, a senior statistician at HP in Corvallis, as its newest assistant professor of computing and data science.
An instructor and statistics enthusiast, Gore had led the data strategy for the company’s newest generation of print technology since 2020. In this role, she designed a comprehensive sampling strategy for the entire printer manufacturing process, maintaining high standards for product quality and reliability.
She also provided counsel for key projects spanning its global print and personal systems organizations, led quality audits, and regularly taught classes, developing topics such as practical data analysis, design of experiments and statistical process control for multidisciplinary teams around the world. In 2020, she was chosen to be a faculty member in the HP Scholar Program, a six-week developmental series which gave over 1800 students an accelerated overview of HP’s gaming, software and data analytics, print, supply chain, and sales businesses.
Community engagement opportunities at HP led Gore to chair its Multicultural Business Impact Network, which participates in local outreach programs such as LEGO Robotics for elementary students. In 2020, she co-led HP Corvallis’ first annual community scholarship program, awarding $25,000 to underrepresented students pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree. She regards this as one of the most meaningful experiences she’s engaged in at HP.
Gore earned bachelor’s degrees in meteorology and statistics in 2009 at North Carolina State University. By 2014, she had earned her MA and PhD in statistics at Columbia University, New York, where she received the Howard Levene Outstanding Teaching Award as a graduate student instructor.
Returning to a university setting is exciting for Gore, who loves sharing her enthusiasm about the statistics field and encourages the responsible governance of it.
“The field is so powerful because all of the major facets of our life are governed by algorithms, and we’re the ones programming them,” she said. “Sometimes our biases can creep in, and that means we have to be more careful to do it correctly so we don’t perpetuate inequality.”
Her corporate experience, regional connections and passion for supporting diverse and inclusive communities will enrich her classes at Willamette. She looks forward to the university’s close-knit atmosphere and collaborating with students and faculty. Her first day is Aug. 1.
“It’s a huge honor and opportunity to participate in the development of future STEM leaders,” she said.
