Dylan P. Esguerra: Alumnus

Department: Statistics

Degree program: Statistical Science M.S.

Undergraduate institution: UC Santa Cruz 

Undergraduate degree: Economics/Mathematics Combined B.A.

Faculty advisors: Adjunct Professor of Applied Mathematics Stephan Munch; Professor of Statistics Anthanasios Kottas 

Graduation years: B.A. 2022; M.S. 2023

Dylan Esguerra discovered his passion for statistics in his sophomore year of undergraduate studies at UC Santa Cruz. He later graduated with his master’s in statistics in 2023 after pursuing the 4+1 Statistical Science program — which challenged him with graduate coursework and research, leading to a published study on ecological modeling. After graduation, Esguerra worked on extreme weather forecasting before joining the University of Washington Medicine, where he currently develops mathematical models for Alzheimer’s research. He encourages students to embrace change, knowing it’s never too late to find a path in STEM.

Describe your journey to UC Santa Cruz and the field of statistics.
When I graduated from high school, I was still undecided on my career and academic goals. UC Santa Cruz helped me find both—choosing to study here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I started as an economics major, inspired by books like “Moneyball” and “Freakonomics.” It wasn’t until my sophomore year, when I took STAT 7, Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences with Professor of Statistics David Draper that I discovered my true academic passion.

Draper, true to his nature as a data-driven statistician, emailed me a full statistical analysis—complete with cited sources—on how the Statistical Science Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway could advance my career. That email set me on the path to a quantitative career, and I will always be grateful for the guidance and encouragement Draper gave me.

What was the 4+1 contiguous bachelor’s/master’s in statistics like, and what did you study?
The program was highly quantitative. In my senior year, I took three graduate-level courses that challenged me more than anything else in my undergraduate curriculum. My professors helped me navigate taking classes with mostly Ph.D. students, reassuring me not to compare myself to others. This support, along with study sessions with a fellow 4+1 student, was essential to my success.

I began my thesis work with Adjunct Professor of Applied Mathematics Stephan Munch during my fourth year. Munch offered me the opportunity to implement and test an algorithm for predicting animal populations over time, which involved dealing with noisy data—data where observations don’t perfectly reflect reality. In ecological terms, this occurs with inaccurate population counts. Our approach outperformed state-of-the-art methods at the time, and was published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. This is one of my proudest achievements, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the 4+1 program.

What did you do after graduation? Where has your career taken you?
After graduating, I worked with Professor and Department Chair of Statistics Robert Lund on forecasting extreme weather events in Alaska. This was part of a collaborative research project between UCSC and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Now, I live in Seattle and work at the University of Washington Medicine as a research scientist engineer in the neurology department. I build mathematical models of protein dynamics in the central nervous system to gain a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease. This work is rewarding because it allows me to apply everything I learned at UCSC, and helps me make a positive impact on patients’ lives.

What is your favorite UCSC memory?
One of my favorite memories at UCSC was finding the Garden of Eden in the redwood forest. During my freshman year, my friends and I would go on long hikes, starting behind our dorms and venturing as far into the woods as we could. On one of these hikes, we heard running water and stumbled upon a large river. We spent the day swimming and basking in the joy of “discovering” such an amazing spot on campus. Later, we found out the Garden of Eden was actually well known, and that there were much easier routes to get there. I still prefer my secret route and the memories that came with it.

What advice would you give students interested in a similar path?
Never think it’s too late to change direction. When I transitioned into STEM, I often felt like I was behind because I hadn’t taken the “right” courses early on. I eventually realized that it’s okay to be undecided and to start later than others. STEM students often emphasize getting prerequisites done early, but college is about discovering who you are, and there shouldn’t be any pressure to have everything figured out in your freshman year. If you are passionate about something, there will always be pathways to get you where you want to go.