If there's one question students ask me above all others, it is: What can you do with math besides teach?
Now, I like math, and I especially like teaching math. We have a national shortage of qualified science and mathematics teachers. So, it's a pleasure to report that some of Simmons's best and brightest are choosing careers as math teachers.
That said, over the past few years I've been noticing a trend. Current mathematics majors, like their peers, are eager to tackle global problems. They want to fight infectious diseases. They're passionate to save the environment. They ask for internship placements where they get to work with real data. Most of all, they want to use their knowledge of mathematics now.
The Class of 2006 is a case in point. Over a dozen students majored in math, or rather, double-majored with math. Their interests were diverse, spanning marine biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, and communications. But, they shared one thing in common: They wanted to use mathematical tools to model real-world data and to unravel patterns within and among sets of data drawn from their other field of interest.
I'm launching this monthly blog to show you these new faces of mathematics and to publicize some of the latest careers for mathematics majors. I'll share recent conversations starting with alums from the Class of 2006. You'll hear about their years at Simmons and where they've ended up. I hope you'll enjoy these posts!
Our first conversation is with Christine Franey, who is an epidemiologist. The Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides employment, job prospects, and salary information for epidemiologists. Please meet Christine!
Christine Franey, B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics, 2006; Master in Public Health in Epidemiology, 2008
- So, first off, Christine, what drew you to math?
I think that math was always my favorite subject because it's a matter of applying a set of rules to solve a problem. I remember making the connection that, oh, you can apply this logical process to all your other classes. - What did you think you wanted to do with math?
I always just liked math and I feel people think if you like math then you'll also like science. I wanted to use math in science. - What were turning points for you?
There are three that stand out from my undergraduate years. At the end of my junior year, I was lucky to be chosen to participate in a biostatistics training program for undergraduates called the Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics or SIBS. It took place at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. This experience affirmed for me that I was interested in public health.
Another turning point was my internship, in my senior year, at Boston University. At the time, I had no idea of the complexity of the things that we were doing. The project I worked on looked at the correlation between religiosity and health outcomes. This internship helped confirm my thinking about pursuing a master's degree in public health. Amazingly, what I'm doing now is much like what I did at Boston University!
My short term course to South Africa for journalism class was possibly my top experience at Simmons. I got to visit HIV/TB clinics with two other students. We visited as observers, story tellers, and journalists. Everyone in the short course wrote up their experiences as the chapters of a book my class wrote, WOMEN TO WOMEN Young Americans in South Africa, that's been published. I used math and statistics to tell my story.
Right now I am a research analyst at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. A lot of what I do is to combine statistics with logical reasoning. I supply research support to health researchers. For example, one project I work on is on end-stage renal disease. We use a national database and link back to Medicare claims. The databases are huge and I help medical researchers to frame questions and create analytic files so they can get the information they need.
In five years, I hope to have a degree in Nursing. I want to be working in a job where I have job satisfaction, where I can help the world, and where I can be more connected to my community. My ultimate goal is to earn the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. After 2015 Nurse Practitioners will be required to have a doctorate degree in order to practice and teach, and this will likely lead to more practice-based research in nursing. My background in math and statistics will be invaluable here.
After all, how can you say anything about any topic without numbers to back it up?
Just that they take advantage of every other opportunity no matter how crazy it may seem. These experiences give you new perspectives, help you to learn new things, and let you meet different people.
Do you have questions for Christine or comments about this series? If so, we'd love to hear from you!
Donna, your is such a good idea. I really like it and think it's very useful--even though I didn't major in math. But demystifying its usefulness in today's world should be very helpful to those you might consider majoring in it.
- Lynette (remember me?)