Gabriel Mott dreams of someday making an impact in the space where statistics and politics converge.
“I like numbers and statistical thinking,” he said. “Something about that way of conceptualizing the world appeals to me, and integrating political science will allow me to apply this passion to significantly change the world.”
Gabriel, who hails from Bowling Green, Ohio, is majoring in both applied statistics and political science, with minors in public policy and data analytics.
At Ohio Northern University, he’s building an impressive resume to help him obtain his graduate school “dream placement”—MIT’s renowned Election Data Science Lab.
The Northern Poll, operated by ONU’s Institute for Civics and Public Policy (ICAPP), is giving him relevant experience with data and politics in Ohio.
“I’m grateful to Dr. Rob Alexander for integrating me into the behind-the-scenes decision making process, and giving me exposure to how real-world polls are conducted,” he said.
During the school year, Gabriel assists John Curiel, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, with his research. The two recently co-authored an op-ed published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, about Ohio Senate Bill 83, which would enable more government influence over college and university operations.
Gabriel is also a founding member of ONU’s chapter of the Secular Student Alliance (SSA), “the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students.”
“We are serving an underrepresented religious group on campus, and hearing other students tell me they appreciate the sense of community and belonging SSA has given them is infinitely more fulfilling than anything else I’ve done at ONU,” he said.
Additionally, Gabriel is involved in Model United Nations; Ethics Bowl; Club Badminton; the Honors Program; and the Northern Review, garnering several national journalism awards. He serves on the student advisory board for the Getty College of Arts & Sciences, and is the recipient of both the DeBow Freed Award for Outstanding Leadership and the Kendall and Toby Baker Promising Leadership Award.
“ONU’s reputation is one I am proud to associate myself with,” he said. “I am surrounded by the most intelligent and hardworking people I have ever met, and their company never ceases to motivate me to be the best student I can be.”