Connor Barclay

Curious + Enterprising + Empirical

About Me

Hi!With any luck, we are already acquainted and you will just skip over this page. But if we have yet to meet, here is a little bit about me...Since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated with systems in general and mathematics in particular. Two decades later, this fascination has parlayed into interests ranging from engineering to economics to design. Always one to appreciate applied knowledge over textbook rhetoric, this has led to some interesting hobbies – sailing, motorsport, marksmanship – and atypical appreciations – tailoring, typography, letterpress printing.In 2009, I traded in the glassy water and evergreen trees of the Pacific Northwest for the sunshine and sprezzatura of Southern California. I’ve had the blessing of getting a great education in both places and have established beyond a reasonable doubt that I’m addicted to the liberal arts. I tend to favor the Romans over the Greeks; admire those who extract simplicity from complexity; and believe that for those of us who are apt to overanalyze, wu wei is often the answer in a world that’s much more probabilistic than Newton prescribed. If you break out a Cicero, Churchill, or Bertrand Russell quote, we’ll be fast friends.Lately, I’ve been intrigued by the resilience of distributed systems. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on triangular arbitrage in Bitcoin foreign exchange markets and served on the EY team exploring future blockchain applications in taxation. Somehow, I ended up with a HAM radio license from the FCC and an FBI security clearance for access to information on U.S. critical infrastructure… so there’s that.I tend to be pretty hard to summarize or categorize. However, I'm a skeptic, empiricist, and humanist at heart. I like to think I’m a slightly anomalous, affable, aspiring polymath who thrives when working creatively with people and data. (You'll have to decide whether that's at all accurate!)In the links above & below, you will find my LinkedIn profile & news appearances. Hopefully they will give you some insight into what I do and think. I hope you enjoy perusing my site and don't hesitate to get in touch via the contact buttons below.Cheers,Connor


"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." – Albert Einstein

In The Press

My Writing & Commentary

Strategic Humor: Cartoons
      from the Harvard Business Review's May 2013 Issue
The Beauty of a Liberal Arts Education: How Advanced Art gave me a leg up in Multivariable Calculus
      from Charles Wright Academy's Ties Alumni Magazine

Featured/Quoted

General

2023 Annual Meeting Report
      from the Arboretum Foundation News
2012 Intuit Idea Jam Results
      from Claremont McKenna College's Press Releases
The Idea Night Lineup
from Claremont McKenna College's The Forum
Monte Carlo 2011: A Night on the French Riviera
      from Claremont McKenna College's The Forum
Old-Fashioned Social Networking
      from Claremont McKenna College's The Forum
New Student Group Focuses on Student Productivity
      from Claremont McKenna College's Press Releases
Bremerton Driving Course Puts Young Drivers on Fast Track
      from the Bremerton Patriot

Student Government

ASCMC Candidate Speeches (Video)
      from Claremont McKenna College's Port Side
ASCMC Raises Officer Stipends
      from Pomona College's The Student Life
Barclay and Riva Oppose Stipend Increases
      from Claremont McKenna College's Port Side
Decision 2012: President & V.P.
      from Claremont McKenna College's The Forum
CMC Students, Administrators Spar Over Living Room Access
      from Pomona College's The Student Life
Candidates for Class President, 2010-2011
      from Claremont McKenna College's The Forum

Date & Time

Local

{{client.fulldate}} {{client.fulltime}}

UTC

{{client.utc_fulldate}} {{client.utc_fulltime}}