Careers in Mathematics
1.) What is your major field of expertise and how did you become interested in it? 2.) What suggestions do you have for students who wish to become involved in your field of study?
Hi April, Thanks for your questions. My field of expertise is mathematics and I became interested in it for a number of reasons. I was always pretty good at it in school, but I also liked the logic involved in thinking about mathematical problems. I thought of math problems as puzzles to be solved by putting together all of the "evidence". The logical structure of mathematics appealed to me because it allowed me to figure out solutions to problems. I didn't have to remember how to do everything. If I started with the basic ideas, I could logically work through a path to a solution. But, to be honest, the I think the main reason I became a mathematician was because of my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Wiley. She always encouraged me and provided me with challenging problems to work on and got me to consider becoming a teacher, myself. For students who want to study mathematics, I encourage them to learn about the many possibilities for employment later on. I always enjoyed doing and learning mathematics and have been lucky enough to get jobs where I continue to do what I love. Also, continue to work hard and don't forget to think about mathematical ideas and concepts in addition to rules and algorithms.