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Charles Worrell |
Information Detective
Charles Worrell
July 2008
Problem-solving comes naturally to Charles Worrell. The MITRE principal information systems engineer's work in inferential modeling enables him to be a sleuth of sorts, delving into advanced analytical techniques like Bayesian Inference Networks to help sponsors find the most valuable nuggets of information within mountains of data. This advanced analysis helps our sponsors fill in critical information gaps in such arenas as financial fraud detection, border security, and disease prevention.
The work is a perfect fit for Worrell, drawing on his lifelong fascination with information technology and difficult problems. He is employed in MITRE's Center for Enterprise Modernization (CEM), supporting our civil-agency sponsors through his research into compliance behavior modeling techniques and inferential model development and analysis.
He says MITRE offered him an opportunity to expand upon the most rewarding aspects of his previous work and take on new technical challenges in an environment where public service is a top priority. "One of the great things about MITRE is that you can sometimes create a work program that is nearly unique," Worrell says.
Building On a History of Success
Worrell came to MITRE in 2005 with a variety of technical and military experience, having spent a decade as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, focusing on operations and communications. "I served on ships on the east and west coasts, and traveled all over," he notes. He described the work as rewarding but difficult. "You get to do and see some amazing things, although it's challenging work," he says. He spent a year and a half working for the Bureau of Naval Personnel, which handles administrative policy planning functions for the Navy.
He has held network operations and systems development positions at several commercial companies. This work included the construction of a telecommunications network operations center at a major telecommunications company; the evaluation of telematics (mobile navigation) technologies for a travel service provider; and managing enterprise architecture development programs at a systems integration service provider. He earned his master's degree in telecommunications systems management while in the Navy and later earned a Ph.D. in information technology.
At MITRE, Worrell says he enjoys the freedom to pursue work that combines the various professional and academic interests he developed in these previous roles.
Helping Organizations Manage Change
"I was able to create my own work plan," he says. "I've found that my supervisors have been very supportive and open to my input on how to build on my work and take it to the next level.
I've been exposed to a broad range of sponsor problems in a relatively short period of time, and it's always exciting to take the work in new directions," he says, adding, "The more you understand about a problem, the better equipped you are to solve it."
Today, his work focuses in part on developing tools to help government agencies predict rates of compliance with regulations. The analytical model Worrell is designing will enable sponsors such as the Department of Homeland Security to find the most effective ways to communicate information about new initiatives and procedures. This work builds on the principles of Bayesian probability theory, a branch of statistics that allows for the modeling of uncertainty about a given outcome based on common-sense knowledge and observational evidence.
It's challenging work, and Worrell says he and his wife, Valorie, take time to relax by boating on the Chesapeake Bay. He describes it as the perfect respite from the analytical rigors of his MITRE role. (Worrell's wife is an author and a life coach who publishes under the name Valorie Burton.)
"Boating is our big pastime outside of work," he says. "It's a great way for us to unwind and clear our heads."
—by Maria S. Lee
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