This interview is the first in a series where alumni are interviewed using student-submitted questions. The questions from this interview were submitted by the Rabun Gap prefects, and Dr. Dominic J. Breuer was chosen to be interviewed. Dr. Breuer is a graduate from the Rabun Gap Class of 2008. Dominic went on to study at Virginia Tech, earning his B.S. and M.S.in Industrial & Systems Engineering. He then moved to Boston where he recently received his PhD from Northeastern University and is now a postdoctoral fellow at MIT in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital. He applies human factors, engineering, and complex math models to improve safety, efficiency, and quality in healthcare.

Tell us about where you went to college and what you’ve been up to after graduating from Rabun Gap? I went to Virginia Tech where I studied Industrial Engineering which is basically the study of making processes more efficient. After several internships in automotive, aerospace, and the pharma industry, I decided to specialize in a field that truly needs a lot of improvement; healthcare. So the best place to do that for me was Boston where I moved 4 years ago. I develop models to schedule operating rooms with less overtime and patient wait time or reduce hospital-acquired infections by making processes more reliable.

Where is your career path heading? Applying Industrial Engineering to healthcare is still a very new field. So I am not exactly sure to be honest. But working directly with clinicians and being fully immersed in daily hospital operations to propose improvements is extremely rewarding and I could imagine working directly for hospitals or in consulting for a while.

How has RG impacted your daily life outside of RG? In so many ways. I think I am very grateful for the work, study, worship motto and have taken that mentality onwards to serve my surrounding community, continually learn and generate new knowledge through research, and form close bonds with peers to help each other either professionally or as friends.

What was the hardest transition from RG to college? Even though I was exceptionally prepared academically, college was still very tough for me. In part I think the close mentorship and advising from RG including small classes and tutoring sessions were a wonderful concept which, of course due to their size, most colleges don’t provide. You need to learn to reach out and take initiative when you have problems, be proactive, and more independent to be successful. I guess that’s also just part of growing up!

What did RG most prepare you for... What did it least prepare you for? As simple as it sounds - I think it has prepared me for living in a community. Wherever we go we need to work with others together. Some we love, some we like, and some we have to interact with without choice. That always happens but RG was truly great at caring for everyone despite their origin or views. I think that goes a long way and helps tremendously in navigating life. Arguably it has least prepared me for my career in sports. Everyone expected me to be excellent at soccer during high school because I am from Germany. The attempt was made to make me a better player but I never succeeded. I guess that’s ok! Thanks anyways, Ozu!

Is there anything you wish you would have done while at RG, but didn't? Thank my teachers, dorm parents, and all other staff members more. While you are there you don’t realize what unique and special place RG is because you get so used to it.

What is something that you took for granted at RG that you wish was at college? The close sense of community was very unique at RG. It’s difficult to have a similar environment at a large college but joining clubs, church, or themed on-campus housing programs are a few options to get involved and build strong friendships.

What do you miss the most about RG? Playing piano in chapel band, recording music with friends after class, and of course the dorm life being so close to all of your friends and goofing off.

Do you think the college meal plan (if optional) is a good idea or not? Absolutely, VT is ranked #1 in the country for food which made my decision very easy. But that should apply everywhere. Even when I went to live off campus I continued to eat on campus. It helps you get a balanced diet and not just survive on pizza.

What is your #1 piece of advice to give a high school senior? Fortune favors the bold and great things come to those who wait. But don’t just wait around. Keep looking and try new challenging things until you find something you love. And then be persistent. And fail. And get better. And never forget to smile - it makes others smile.