The month's blog features a Simmons alumna, Maria Granada, who double-majored in mathematics and computer science and landed a career working in the aeronautics and defense industry. Please meet Maria!
Maria Granada, B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science, 2006
How did you end up majoring in math, Maria?
Well, I wasn't one of those students who always loved math or who always was one of the best at math! I came to this country from the Philippines when I was 8 years old. I started piano lessons then, and music drew me into math. Math was something I had already learned before coming to the U.S. and there wasn't a language or reading barrier for me.
What did you think you wanted to do with math?
Honestly, I hadn't set out to be a math major. My original plan was to major in computer science. Because this major had some math prerequisites, e.g., discrete mathematics, I just thought that with a few more courses I could major in math as well.
What have you been doing since leaving Simmons? How does the math you learned at Simmons impact you on a daily basis?
I'm a software engineer at Lockheed Martin in Orlando where I've been working since August, 2006. I work on the F-35 program. [Quoting from Wikipedia: "The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable military strike fighter, a multirole aircraft that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defense missions. "] My assignments over the last two years have given me the opportunity to work on the full life cycle of the project, from design to architecture to implementation. The F-35 developed out of the Joint Strike Fighter program. It's the largest Department of Defense program ever launched. The enduring value of math for me is that it helps me to apply critical thinking and to do logical analysis. I don't work with numerical calculations.
How do you spend your time outside work?
Right now I'm working on a Master of Aeronautical Science, with a dual specialization in Aeronautics and Space Studies, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I find aeronautical science and space studies to be so cool ... they're completely new to me, completely unlike any subject I took in high school or college. I'm doing my Masters online. I take two courses per semester, three semesters per year. I should be done in April 2010.
What led to you to pursue this Masters?
I wanted to have a better perspective on what I'm trying to help build. I work on very specific aspects of the F-35 program. I wanted to have the big picture.
What would you like to be doing in five years and why?
After getting my Masters, my goal is to get a Ph.D. in information assurance and security. In working on the F-35 project, information gets sent all around the world in different data types. It's hard to ensure that information is sent and received securely. That's why I want to pursue a Ph.D. in this area.
Do you have any advice for alums?
These past couple of years since graduating from Simmons have been pretty intense, what with relocating from Massachusetts to Florida and starting a new career. My advice for alums is the same advice I give myself: Take time to chillax! J In my spare time, I'm learning Spanish through Rosetta Stone and I play a few instruments - piano, guitar and drums. I also enjoy playing Guitar Hero on the Wii with friends. I enjoy gardening, too. Pulling roots and shoveling mulch can really help you to unwind!
If you have any questions for Maria or about this blog, be sure to write!
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