Matthew O'Hara

Class of 2025

Saint Anselm College
Computer Science and Cyber Criminology Double Major

Why did you choose ESTEEM?

I chose to come to ESTEEM to meld my technical background with business fundamentals and use these combined skills to solve real world problems. I have always enjoyed developing creative technical solutions to modern problems, and the addition of ESTEEM’s entrepreneurship skills will allow me to apply my solutions on a much larger scale. I also want to use my newfound combined skill set to bridge the gap between the business and technical sections of the product development process. Through my experience I’ve found that the common breakdown in communication between these two important teams can lead to the stifling of the creative process and harm the creation of a final product. As someone that has both technical and business acumen, I hope to streamline the workflows of both entities and unify their focus to create the best possible solution for society’s needs.

What is your capstone project?

NIBCO Inc is a manufacturer and distributor of high quality industrial valves, fittings, and flow control products. These products are a staple for many important infrastructure projects such as plumbing, mechanical, chemical, fuel, and gas operations. This capstone project aims to leverage the rapidly growing artificial intelligence field in order to create state of the art solutions that improves NIBCO’s ability to serve its customers and community. Utilizing creative AI solutions for modern business problems is currently a rapidly developing market with untapped potential, and the addition of AI projects into the NIBCO workflow will assist the company's efficiency in both daily operations and major projects. This project will include a problem analysis to find where AI technology would best serve NIBCO, market analysis, development of an AI integration plan, the creation of a machine learning software solution, and the integration of this solution into NIBCO’s operations.

What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?

After ESTEEM, I hope to pursue a career in software engineering and cybersecurity, allowing me to pursue my interests in developing creative technical and digital security solutions. I want to create adaptive and cutting edge products that can solve a multitude of societal issues while also defending individuals and business entities from increasingly clever and malicious digital attacks. Through this combination of development, security, and business intelligence, I can both improve the quality of life for members of my community while also protecting them from the dangers that populate the digital sphere. I cannot wait to be a positive force for change in the world through my creative problem solving and holistic understanding of how to develop and actualize groundbreaking ideas.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I enjoy reading, cooking, hanging out with friends, weightlifting and playing board games. I really enjoy spending my vacations relaxing on the beach near Cape Cod, Massachusetts over the summer.