Student Spotlight: Walking on a Path of Continuous Growth
Baris Baser (MSSM ’25) has been dedicated to walking on a path of growth since his undergraduate graduation
By Hannah Brelsford
Baris Baser, a part-time student in the Master of Science in Software Management program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Integrated Innovation Institute, has lived in various places, including Italy and Turkey, before arriving in the Bay Area. Growing up around the world was a result of his father's job with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Despite his travels, his favorite place to live has always been the Bay Area.
Before attending the iii, Baris earned his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara. After spending several years working for Google and YouTube, he decided it was time to pursue a higher degree, specifically a Master of Science in Software Management. While at the iii, Baris faced a few challenges on his journey, but he learned a great deal along the way and developed into the person he is today.
The Fast Facts: A Summary of Baris’ Time in the MSSM Program
Learning From a Young Age 📚
- A love for learning was instilled in his family
- Pursuing a degree in physiography
Working Experience 💼
- Head of IT at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara
- Corporate Operations Engineer at Google
- IT Site Lead at YouTube
Coming Back to the Classroom 📝
- Pivoting graduate majors at CMU SV
- Pursuing his MSSM degree
- Continuing to challenge himself in his career and education
Cultivating Lifelong Relationships 🤝
- Friendships cultivated through problem-solving
- Connecting with professors inside and outside the classroom
What’s Next 🎓
- Ready to pivot in his career
- Wants to continue within mentorship in the technology field
“CMU teaches you the common language that engineers and product managers use to get work done to solve big problems.”
Learning From a Young Age
Baris built his first computer when he was only 14 years old. From a young age, he had a passion for building and solving problems. His uncle and father were significant mentors during this time, guiding him along the way. Growing up in Silicon Valley, at the heart of the tech industry, also inspired him.
Many expected him to pursue a degree in Computer Science due to his background, but he found that it did not appeal to him. Instead, he decided to study physiography, the scientific study of the Earth's physical systems, including landforms, climate, and ecosystems. During his undergraduate years at UC Santa Barbara, he developed a passion for examining the Earth through a scientific lens that emphasized systems. Although it might seem unrelated, this degree played a significant role in shaping his career in technology.
Working Experience
Immediately after graduating from UC Santa Barbara on a Friday, Baris began his job the following Monday as the Head of IT at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the same university. His strong work ethic, instilled in him from a young age, made it essential for him to start working right away. In this role, he supported the school’s technology needs while ensuring a high-quality experience for the students.
After his time at UC Santa Barbara, he transitioned to Google, where he worked as a Corporate Operations Engineer. In this role, he addressed various issues that endpoint customers encountered with the company's platform. These challenges could range from assessing the health of the network, improving the engineering productivity of tools, to managing the network policies that engineers use to communicate with computers outside of Google. Working in Information Technology (IT) at Google was particularly unique and challenging, as the role involved supporting a wide range of services, given that Google is a platform relied upon by millions of businesses.
He later transitioned to YouTube, where he worked as an IT Site Lead for five years. In this role, he ensured that all internal tools were operational to support the platform. Afterward, he returned to Google as a Corporate Operations Engineer, where he continued to build on the work he had previously done before joining YouTube.
Baris began his role at Google when the company had only 3,000 employees. Over the years, he witnessed the company's remarkable growth and played a significant part in its development. His position in IT at Google was particularly challenging due to the unique nature of the company's operations on the internet. He described the work as involving "a lot of firefighting," emphasizing that the tasks are never truly finished and can be quite demanding. This “firefighting” is essential for many other businesses, but it can be difficult to constantly address various problems for different companies, each requiring unique solutions.
Baris's natural curiosity and desire to solve problems drove his success at Google. Working for the company allowed him to travel to various corners of the world while doing work that positively impacts people globally.
During the pandemic, Baris decided he wanted to start asking questions beyond his job and broaden his perspective on the industry by increasing his knowledge. He already listened to lectures in his free time and thought, why not pursue a degree in the subject?
“I like to go down rabbit holes. I’m always asking why why, why. One of my values is that I am a curious person, and during the pandemic, I decided it’s time to explore something different.”
Coming Back to the Classroom
Everyone discovers meaning in their lives in unique ways. For Baris, personal and professional growth is a significant source of meaning, which is why he chose to attend Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). However, Baris's journey to the university was not the “typical” path.
His initial inspiration to return to school stemmed from his curiosity and desire for personal growth. Additionally, he had a good friend and colleague who attended CMU's Silicon Valley campus. When searching for a program, being in-person and having the opportunity to work on teams were among his top priorities. He found CMU to be the right academic fit because he understood that the school not only taught theories but also emphasized their practical application.
Baris faced a significant challenge when he decided to return to school. He chose to pursue both his career and academic studies at the same time, understanding that this risk was essential for the change he needed in his life.
He originally began pursuing a Master of Science in Software Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley (CMU SV) in 2021. However, he found that the program was not the right fit for him, so he later decided to return to CMU as a student in the Master of Science in Management (MSSM) program.
Baris enjoys challenging himself. He recognized that pursuing a Master's degree while working part-time at Google would be difficult, but he refused to give up. He believes, “Nothing worth doing is ever easy. You have to confront that resistance and learn to manage it.”
The MSSM program at CMU proved to be the perfect fit for Baris, both academically and personally. It combined his interests in business, engineering, and design, providing him with an opportunity to deepen his knowledge in areas he was passionate about and to explore new ones.
Cultivating Lifelong Relationships
Obtaining his MSSM degree has certainly been a challenge, but it has been worth it for him. Some of his favorite memories are the moments spent with classmates as they navigate those challenges together.
At one point, he and his classmates found themselves in a conference room at 1:30 AM, attempting to debug their tests. Although this moment was challenging, experiences like these are the most rewarding. Each small victory in these situations reflects the hard work they put into the course. He particularly cherishes the moments when they tackle difficult problems and finally find solutions, as they demonstrate perseverance and dedication to their work.
These moments are when he and his classmates have bonded the most. The environment of collaborating with peers to develop friendships fosters special connections that are hard to replicate. “One of the most rewarding aspects is that you meet people and get to know them through challenging experiences, which leads to these strong connections. These bonds are so powerful because you are working together to solve very difficult problems,” Baris said about building friendships in this setting.
Baris’s relationships extend beyond those with his classmates, thanks in part to the small student-to-faculty ratio in the MSSM program. This allows students to build meaningful connections with their professors that go beyond the classroom.
During his time at Google, Baris has even invited some of his professors for lunch and given them a tour of the offices. In the classroom, he appreciates that "professors put their hearts into their work, which makes you care about it." This dedication makes his achievements in those classes and projects feel much more meaningful. The commitment professors show to their work effectively engages students, motivating them to reach their full potential both in the classroom and in the industry.
“I see myself keeping in touch with these people for the rest of my life.”
What’s Next
Upon graduation, he plans to pivot and explore a new career direction after spending the past 20 years in his current field. He feels ready to embrace new opportunities, leveraging the skills and professional experience he has gained at both Google and YouTube.
“The stars aligned because my last day at Google was the same day as my Carnegie Mellon commencement.”
In the future, he also wants to continue his work in leadership. Throughout his career, he has mentored around 50 to 60 engineers and has witnessed their growth. He is eager to keep mentoring others, as he values the guidance he received from his own mentors.
With the well-rounded experience he has gained from the MSSM program, he aims not only to solve problems but also to understand thoroughly what is being solved and why, approaching challenges from engineering, business, and design perspectives.