Focused on the Fundamentals

More than a decade after graduation, Frank Lasota leans on his MSIT education as he serves as Evolent Health's chief technology officer.

When Frank Lasota (MSIT ‘09) started pursuing his master’s degree, Apple had just released the first iPhone, the cloud was primarily thought of as something in the sky, and the challenges confronting a technologist were vastly different than the ones faced today.   

But Lasota, chief technology officer at Evolent Health, said the education he received through Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program remains thoroughly relevant and has been the key to his success as he’s reached for progressively higher career goals.  

Frank Lasota

“MSIT does a great job of providing the fundamentals,” said Lasota, who has been with Evolentsince 2018, following nearly 20 years at Anthem. “As you go further in your career, you’re not going to be able to know everything. Technology just moves too fast. You’re going to have to have those core fundamentals to lean on.”  

Evolent’s mission is the lofty goal “to change the health of the nation by changing the way health care is delivered.” It offers financial and administrative management solutions designed to bring healthcare costs down and, as Lasota said, “bridge the gap between providers and payers.”  

Lasota’s job with Evolent is all-encompassing. He is responsible for overseeing all technology-related aspects of the company, outlining its technological product and engineering vision, and securely implementing strategies to provide a competitive advantage.  

That he can do this more than a decade after his graduation, despite the massive evolution in technology during that timespan, shows just how valuable his MSIT experience was. 

“The fundamentals don’t change,” he said. “You’re going to have to take security in whatever form it is and apply it in a progressive, modern context. You’re going to have to connect things with networking. If you focus on the fundamentals and do that right, you’re able to carry things forward.”  

Lasota likes to talk about having the right blend of things, whether it is about his decision to join the MSIT program or the skills he brings to Evolent.  

In his current role, he uses the blend of a quarter-century of experience in the public, payer, provider, and clinical sectors to better understand the issues Evolent faces.  

A different blend brought him to the MSIT program.  

Lasota already was enjoying success in his career at Anthem, where he’d been since 2001, when he thought about furthering his education. In his first look for the right program, he didn’t find one with the combination he wanted.  

Then he received a postcard from the MSIT program.  

“I loved the mix,” he said. “The blend of the technology and the business side was very good. It dealt with the blend you have to have, whether you get into technology leadership or business leadership.” 

Lasota credits the MSIT program with preparing him for more real-world responsibilities by having him confront C-suite challenges in the relatively safer world of academia.  

Working with a strong cohort taught him the importance of collaboration and consensus building, even if there were times of personal disagreement. The quality of the MSIT professors and guest lecturers provided lessons on learning from those with different experiences.  

All of which lead him to strongly supporting the MSIT program for professionals looking to advance their careers.  

“I credit where I am now to the MSIT program,” he said. “You’re not going to find programs like this. It’s a cut above. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime shot.” 

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