Career Paths in the Mathematical Sciences

Kevin Corlette, Director, IMSI
David Goldberg, Executive Director, Math Alliance, and Purdue University
Angela Olinto, Dean of the Physical Sciences Division, University of Chicago
Takis Souganidis, Mathematics, University of Chicago
Mary Silber, Statistics and Committee on Computational and Applied Mathematics, University of Chicago
Bo Hammer, Executive Director, IMSI

Facilitator:Roberto Soto (California State University, Fullerton)

Topic: F-GAP takes students who are rising juniors and pairs them with a doctoral facilitator. What are the role(s) for their undergraduate mentor in this process and how to best coordinate the efforts of the doctoral and undergraduate mentor. More generally, how should we be mentoring students as they get close to the graduate application process?

Facilitator: Philip Kutzko (University of Iowa)

Topic: In order to produce more professionals in the quantitative science among TEAM (Traditionally Excluded American Minorities) populations, we must be producing more undergraduate majors. One very successful model was pioneered by William Vélez at University of Arizona. Are there, in addition to Bill’s model, strategies that will “tweak the system” as an initial approach to increasing the number of TEAM math majors at schools that have no prior experience with this?

Moderator: Rebecca Willett (University of Chicago)

Panelists: Jacob Bond (GM), Jim Harmon (Liberty Mutual), Holly Wiberg (Flatiron Health)

Speaker: Kathy Ensor (Statistics, Rice University)

Title: Exciting and Rewarding Careers in Statistics, Data Science and Technology

Moderator: Ramon Durazo-Arvizu (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles)

Panelists: Adrian Coles (Bristol-Myers-Squibb), Miriam Nuño (University of California, Davis), Jenny Yang (Apple)

Moderator: Bo Hammer (IMSI)

Panelists: Brian Boonstra (Jump Trading), Robert Bridges (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Emil Constantinescu (Argonne National Laboratory), Bridget Manning (Amazon)

Facilitators: Phyllis Okwan (Southern University and A&M College) and David Uminsky (University of Chicago)

In recent years, one major evolution for the Math Alliance has been its embracing of emerging quantitative sciences. It is critical we give students opportunities to explore areas, such as data science and machine learning, in a mathematical context. Such opportunities should present themselves within the curriculum, as well as research experiences (e.g., REUs). We should also be developing opportunities for faculty to build collaborations with experts in these fields. What are the best ways for faculty to engage in these activities?

Panelists: Govanni Grandos (Purdue University), Whitney Mgbara (University of California, Berkeley), Quindel Jones (Virginia Commonwealth University)