By Sherry Fowler
It is with great sadness that Poole College of Management acknowledges the loss of one of our best and brightest alumni. Jeffrey Rawls, a 2016 graduate of Poole College, died in an airplane accident off the coast of North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2022 – leaving behind several loved ones and a legacy of giving back.
A sharp student, Rawls earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in information technology and a minor in Chinese. He also worked as the lead student mentor at the NC State Intensive English Program and with Duke University’s Leadership Academy for high school students.
Rawls was known for his hard work, dedication and innovation throughout his time in Poole College – and the IT and analytics faculty, in particular, remember him well. In addition to earning very good grades in the several IT and analytics courses he took, the faculty remember his character and work ethic. Dr. Associate ProfessorJulie Earp remembers Rawls as a strong student in her networking class. Dr. Teaching Assistant Professor Neal Parker recalls him as being conscientious and well-liked by his peers.
And Dr. Professor of Practice Sherry Fowler recalls Rawls’ work as a student in Poole College’s business analytics course. There, Fowler says, he developed quantitative data analytics skills, data visualization abilities and presentation skills. Taking the knowledge gained from this course, Rawls then applied it to a very special project during his senior year. With his venture, “applied data analytics to measurements of sound’s physical properties,” Rawls became a finalist in the NC State Lulu eGames competition. According to the competition write-up, Rawls’ results made the “audible visible with eloquent and accurate graphical representations.” Through his innovative use of data and analytics, Rawls’ project also made it to the 2016 Poole Leadership and Innovation Showcase.
In addition to possessing solid quantitative skills, Rawls was an excellent communicator. Formal presentations seemed to come quite naturally to him. This, coupled with his winsome personality, allowed him to command a room. He was a kind individual with a great sense of humor – and he had a unique ability to put an audience at ease.
Rawls brought all of these technological, analytical and interpersonal skills to industry. In the last years of his life, he worked as a data analyst and business intelligence developer with Red Hat – where he was remembered fondly not only for his expertise and professional skills, but also for his willingness to help others.
It was this, Poole College faculty say, that served as the driving force behind everything Rawls did. In one of his last emails to Poole’s IT faculty, Rawls mentioned yet another venture and spoke of his plans to incorporate his artistic talent into his new work. Even the subject line of his email alluded to his proclivity to work hard at implementing his business and technology ideas, and the faculty understood that it was about something bigger than himself. In Rawls’ short life, he helped so many people along the way – and he worked hard to do it.
Rawls’ personal website from his days as a student mentioned that he enjoyed playing basketball, chess and riding dirt bikes. He was also a student pilot who enjoyed flying with his dad. His friends, family and faith were all important to him and he was particularly passionate about giving back to others. Rawls truly represented one of Poole’s finest, and he will be greatly missed.
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