Meet the New McDonough Faculty: Tommy Jones

We are pleased to welcome new faculty members to the Georgetown McDonough community this fall. 

In our Meet the New McDonough Faculty Series, learn more about the interests, specialties, experiences, and personalities behind the talented academics at the McDonough School of Business. 

We spoke with Tommy Jones, visiting associate professor of the practice of operations and analytics, about what he hopes to accomplish at Georgetown through his engagement with students, classroom teachings, and beyond.

How would you describe yourself in a few words?

I’m an affable guy whose mind is stuck in a loop between being a Marine Corps veteran and a statistics professor. I can’t decide if I’m a jock or a nerd.

What institution or previous line of work are you coming from?

Most of my experience is in industry. I’ve worked in or for the government, startups, Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofits, and venture capital firms.

What are you most looking forward to about your work at Georgetown McDonough?

I love working with students and being in the business school perfectly blends my orientation between academia and industry.

What is your area(s) of expertise and which subject(s) are you most passionate about?

I am a statistician whose expertise is in machine learning or statistical learning (depends on whether it’s a computer science department or the statistics department, but the math is the same). I am passionate about being able to measure narrative phenomena like we measure economic phenomena.

How would you describe your work or teaching philosophy?

I work too much. My philosophy comes from my teaching statement: I aim to teach by connecting lessons to real-world applications, providing clear pathways to success, prioritizing active learning, and fostering inclusivity through mentorship.

What is your favorite quote and why?

“An approximate answer to the right question is far more useful than a precise answer to the wrong question” – John Tukey. Why? We tend to underappreciate asking the right question because that’s hard and often ambiguous. 

What is your favorite book, podcast, or movie, and why?

Aliens because I’m a sci-fi fan and the Marines were the good guys.

What do you hope to bring to the McDonough community?

I hope to bring a smile, a strong work ethic, and a team-oriented mentality.