Alumna took her math degree from Furman to Formula One

Furman University alumna Emily Fowler ’25 fast-tracked her education from the classroom to working for one of the world’s most prestigious auto racing teams.

Fowler, who majored in applied mathematics with a minor in data analytics, now works in London for the McLaren Formula 1 Team. But before she came to Furman from Kingsport, Tennessee, Fowler knew next to nothing about motorsports.

“I knew I was STEM-focused in high school even if I didn’t know where that would take me,” she said. Furman gave her the environment she needed to discover her own path. “Furman felt like a home away from home, and I loved the small class sizes.”

Emily Fowler ’25

Fowler wasn’t sure where her penchant for math could take her, but she found her niche in the class Operations Research, taught by Kevin Hutson, professor of mathematics. A group project optimizing strategies for the board game “Ticket to Ride” showed her how the process of solving a problem includes analyzing the decisions made along the way to find more efficient ways of doing things.

“That completely changed my mind about math in general. It opened a world of possibilities I didn’t know about,” she said.

She joined Hutson and Roy Bower, associate professor of mathematics, on a research project helping the BMW manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where Furman students often intern. She found ways to optimize workflows at the plant, making their processes more adaptable when things go wrong.

For Fowler, the work was less about helping build cars and more about making complex processes easier for the people doing them. She presented the technical work to higher-ups at BMW and found she enjoyed explaining the math in clear terms.

“What impressed me working with Emily was her ability to communicate every step of what she’s doing,” Hutson said. “I had total confidence in her professionalism and ability to communicate with people. To me, that’s a liberal arts education and what we want to instill in our students: Ask the questions, understand the process, perform the analysis, and communicate the result.”

Fowler said she said “yes” to every opportunity that came her way at Furman. She went on the Math and the Mouse May Experience trip to Disney World, leapt at the chance to do undergraduate research and took her professors up on their offers to talk during office hours.

She encourages students to do the same. “Don’t be afraid to say ‘yes.’ You have no idea what it could open up for you.”

As an applied mathematics major at Furman, Fowler participated in undergraduate research helping optimize operations at BMW. Photo provided by Fowler.

That’s what she did in her senior year when she saw an internship opening at McLaren Racing in London. She enjoyed her work with BMW, and while she wasn’t a Formula 1 fan, she became one studying the history of the McLaren team.

Fowler practiced interviewing for the role with her professors and she landed the job, flying to London in August for the role. She works with a close team of designers and engineers and said it can be surreal seeing the drivers and team principal in the office after seeing them on TV. It’s a fast-paced environment – the team has their eyes on the checkered flag long before any race starts.

Both at Furman and at McLaren, Fowler said she feels supported and empowered to think creatively, collaborate and find the best solutions to any problem she faces.

“In a sport like F1, it’s so important that we stay flexible and quick at our jobs while maintaining reliability and quality,” Fowler said. “At the end of every week, you get to see your work on the track.”