careers in applied mathematcis

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标  题: careers in applied mathematcis
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转载自http://www.siam.org/careers/career1.htm

"Applied mathematicians believe that new mathematical ideas and areas of
study can come from using mathematics to solve problems in physics,
chemistry, biology, medicine, engineering, and technology." -
"Mathematics," Microsoft? Encarta? Online Encyclopedia 2003 ?1997-2003
Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved

In the following pages, you'll learn that a career in applied mathematics
isn't just about crunching numbers. It's a career that uses mathematics to
solve problems in the environment of your choice.

Industrial careers for those with a background in mathematics rarely carry
a simple title like "mathematician" The very idea of a career in
mathematics has evolved and diversified. Mathematics may stand alone as a
science, but as a career, it's almost always coupled with a specialty or
area of research interest. This guide was assembled to provide answers to
the questions asked most frequently by people interested in the study of
applied mathematics and computational science: What's out there for someone
with my interests and background? Where can I work? How should I pursue my
studies? Who are the people working in industry today?

What kind of problems do you want to solve?


The careers may differ, but one thing remains the same-problem solving.
Listed below are some potential industrial problems that a mathematician or
computational scientist would solve at his/her place of work. Take note of
which of the following sample problems you find most intriguing, and why.

A pharmaceutical company wants to search a very large database of proteins
to find one that is similar in shape or activity to one they have
discovered. What's the most efficient way to do so?
How might disease spread in populated areas in the event of a bioterrorism
incident?
How do you cram enough data through a high-bandwidth communications network
to deliver large data sets reliably?
When we pick up a quarter, our brain sends complicated signals to our
nerves and muscles. How do you design a mechanical hand to grip a coin and
drop it in a slot? An automobile production plant is falling far short of
the capacity for which it was designed. Why? How can you mathematically
model the spread of a forest fire depending on weather, ground cover, and
type of trees?
How can you allocate an investment among various financial instruments to
meet a risk/reward tradeoff?
How does a protein, like an enzyme, fold into a molecular shape? Where are
the active sites on the molecule?
Computer chips are "printed", much like photographs, from a negative. But
manufacturing the "negative" is too expensive to permit cut-and-try testing
of proposed layouts and the corresponding "print." Are there accurate
mathematical models of the exposure process? Can they be coupled with
efficient computational implementations to obtain practical, low-cost
simulations to guide chip design and manufacture?
A chemical manufacturer must shift one of its product lines to a new family
of compounds that will not harm the ozone layer. Since it cannot test
possible new products by releasing them into the atmosphere, it must
develop models of atmospheric chemistry that simulate the complex chemical
reactions in the atmosphere, the action of the sun, etc. Can computational
simulations show sufficient detail to capture the effects of the chemicals,
but still be fast enough to permit studies of many different chemicals?
These problems are just a sample of what industry has to offer. Your career
search should involve deciding how you'll parlay your interest in
mathematics into your eventual career path.

Part of the preparation for your future is mathematical knowledge-tools
like differential equations, probability, and matrices, as well as central
skills like the art of abstraction, good communication skills and the
ability to program computers. Another part of preparation is experience
using these ideas in real applications, experience in finding the general
patterns among specific problems in engineering, science, finance,
medicine, and many other areas. With preparation in mathematics and a
background in another field, you can enjoy the dual reward of applied
mathematics: using your skills and seeing the results.

Where do you want to work?


Below is a list of real-life organizations that hire mathematicians and
computer scientists. It's interesting to note the variety- from
governmental research organizations to independent consultants. Experience
gained through internships and work-study opportunities can help you
determine your personal preferences in a workplace, such as organization
size, the issue of non-profit vs. for-profit, and customer contact vs. no
customer contact.

Learn more about these and other organizations and corporations by
searching the web for additional information. You can learn things like
company size, location, mission statement, history, and job requirements.

Some examples of organizations, corporations, and research institutions
where mathematicians work:

Government labs like Oak Ridge National Lab, Sandia, Pacific Northwest
National Labs, and Los Alamos; and agencies like the National Security
Agency, the Center for Communications Research, the Supercomputing Research
Center, the Institute for Defense Analysis Center, and NASA's Institute for
Computer Applications in Science and Engineering;
A federally funded contractor like the Mitre Corporation and RAND;
Engineering research organizations like AT&T Laboratories-Research,
Telcordia Technologies, Exxon Research and Engineering, Schlumberger-Doll
Research, and NEC Laboratories America, Inc.;
Computer service and software firms like MSC.Software Corporation, The
Mathworks, Palo Alto Research Center, Mentor Graphics, Adobe, and
Microsoft;
Energy systems firms like Lockheed-Martin Energy Research Corporation and
the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC)
Electronics and computer manufacturers like IBM, SGI, Philips Research,
Honeywell, Motorola, and Lucent Technologies;
Consulting firms like Daniel Wagner Associates and McKinsey and Company;
Aerospace and transportation equipment manufacturers like Boeing, General
Motors, Aerospace Corporation, Ford, and United Technologies;
Financial services firms like Citibank, Morgan Stanley, and Prudential;
Communications services providers like AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest
Communications;
Chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturers like Kodak, DuPont,
GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck & Co., Inc.;
Producers of petroleum and petroleum products like Amoco and Exxon Research
and Engineering;
University-based research organizations like the Institute for Mathematics
and Its Applications, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the
Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
What else is there?

Emerging Fields to Consider


Computational Biology and Genomics
By now, we've all heard of terms like "genetic sequencing" and "human
genome". The mapping of the human genome depended on the use of
sophisticated mathematical and computational tools. Now that sequencing is
complete, the next challenge is to understand how genes interact, how they
are switched on or off, and how they differ from individual to individual.
The need for newer and better mathematical and computational tools will
create new career opportunities in technology, medicine, and drug
development and design.

Data Mining
If you're looking for a broad mathematical area with lots of applications,
look no further-data mining is the answer. Data mining involves the
discovery of patterns and previously unknown information in large data
sets. Emerging career opportunities will be found in applications of data
mining in, for example, security, forensics, e-commerce, and sciences, such
as genomics, astrophysics, and chemical engineering.

Neuroscience
As described by organizers at the Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI),
beginning with "the discovery of the fundamental Hodgkin-Huxley equations,
which model electrical impulses and oscillations in neurons, mathematicians
have been involved in developing models and computational schemes for
systems of neurons." This mathematical and computational research provides
tools for the study of the brain, the progression of neurological diseases,
and the emerging treatments for such diseases.

Materials Science
Materials science is the study of the properties, processing and production
of a broad range of existing and new materials, including metallic alloys,
composites, liquid crystals, biological materials, and thin films. The
rational design and analysis of materials depends on mathematical models
and computational tools. Career opportunities abound in science,
manufacturing, and materials design for applications in fields such as
aerospace, engineering, electronics and biology.

Computer Animation and Digital Imaging
To get an idea of what this field entails, consider the following
description from the Fields Institute in Toronto. "Computer Animation is an
eclectic science that uniquely combines mathematics, computer science, fine
art, classical animation, physics, biomechanics, and anatomy, to name but a
few fields. Algorithms for computer animation rely heavily on techniques
from scientific computation, statistics, signal processing, linear algebra,
control theory, and computational geometry." With a diverse and exciting
set of applications to such areas as entertainment (movies, video games),
medical diagnostics, and fine arts (dancing, sculpture, painting), there
are many avenues to explore.

Who are the applied mathematicians and computational scientists working in
industry today?


An actuary, a librarian, a director of pharmaceutical
research-mathematicians are involved in more fields than you may have
thought possible. The following professionals with degrees in math-related
fields will tell you that they were guided toward their career path by the
first great math textbook they used, a crucial internship, or the advice of
an enthusiastic professor. There are many choices to make and elements to
consider when choosing a career. The following individuals share their
educational background, interests, and experiences so that emerging
mathematicians—such as you—will benefit.

Profiles
Alex Karavousanos
Senior Director, Business Development
Reuters
BS in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
State University of New York at Stony Brook
(516) 355-7328

Alex's Background

"From a young age I found mathematics interesting and challenging," recalls
Alex, and when it came time to search for a job, his interest in math
carried over. Alex naturally gravitated toward a career in which math
skills were valued, if not required. He now works in business development
and has found that "the analytical skills I developed though all of my
courses gave me an excellent foundation that allows me to think creatively
and structure interesting business relationships."

The Career

Initially Alex used his mathematics background to pass the National
Association of Securities Dealer's series 7 exam in order to become a
registered representative. "I enjoyed selling stocks but was interested in
learning more about financial planning and stock selection." Alex
eventually took a position as a research analyst with Market Guide, a small
publicly traded company on Long Island that collected financial information
on all publicly traded companies. After a series of acquisitions, this
position became Alex's current position at Reuters. "My role here has a few
different functions," says Alex, including managing and growing the revenue
for an existing client base, structuring strategic partnerships with
companies that will redistribute fundamental and estimates financial data,
and facilitating the sale of data through existing channel partners. Alex
told us that he "ended up in business development because of the creative
and analytical nature of the job." Daily responsibilities include anything
from responding to client inquiries to projecting and/or forecasting
revenue models for various strategic partners. Alex believes that the
future of financial mathematics careers is stable. "The financial services
industry relies heavily on math and will continue to do so. The industry
continues to evolve, but everything revolves around numbers-offering math
folks many interesting opportunities."

Alex offers this advice: "I would suggest that someone majoring in math be
open minded as to a career path. An analytical type of degree can be
applied to many different roles and careers. I would recommend that
students intern at a few different companies in order to get a good
understanding of the different jobs with which a math degree could be
associated."

Skills required for this position:
(5 = most important; 0-1 hardly at all)

Communication
5

Teamwork
5

Computer
4

Analytical
4

Sales
4

Math
3

Computation
3

Engineering
2


John Parkinson
Actuary, Vice President
The Savitz Organization
BA Mathematics, BA Economics
East Stroudsburg University

John's Background

The fear of math is not uncommon, even for math majors. John was an
economics major when he discovered his mathematics interest and ability. "I
came to learn that the foundation of some key economic principles was
rooted in the application of calculus to those principles." John became
fascinated and wanted to learn more. He ended up taking more mathematics
courses, "this after fearing math for most of my life." In addition to
economics, philosophy contributed to John's interest in math. "I noticed
how many of the great philosophers were mathematicians. The two subjects
have an interesting and natural connection."

In college, John found a subject that specifically sparked his
interest-Econometrics. "This course really influenced my decision to pursue
a career in the field of applied mathematics. I found applying regression
analysis techniques to economic problems and theory to try to determine
explanatory variables and forecasting to be truly interesting." From there,
the actuarial profession was a natural fit. "Embarrassing as it is to
admit, I wasn't very informed about the actuarial profession in college. I
stumbled onto the profession at a job fair my senior year and was quickly
intrigued." After passing the rigorous professional exams, John entered "a
field where I would deal with assessing the financial and economic impact
of contingent events."

The Career

John is currently a consulting actuary for an employee benefits company.
"We help companies determine their plan's financial liabilities."
Determining these liabilities is dependent on quantifying expectations of
future events, including how long the employee will live, when and how the
employee will leave employment (termination, disability), how much money
the employee will make during his/her career.

The future of financial mathematics careers is a bright one. John told us
that while current actuarial science takes a deterministic approach to
valuing financial liabilities, in the future, stochastic modeling should
become more prevalent. "As financial analysis and modeling becomes more
complex, the opportunities for mathematicians in business and consulting
should increase greatly."

John recommends that students spend some time investigating what
mathematicians are doing in other fields—but start early!

Skills required for this position:
(5 = most important; 0-1 hardly at all)

Computation
5

Communication
4

Computer
4

Math
3

Programming
3

Teamwork
3

Statistics
1

Engineering
0


Leslie Lahl
Developmental Editor, Mathematics
Brooks/Cole Publishers
BA, MA in Mathematics
Cleveland State University

Leslie's Background

Leslie taught at the undergraduate level prior to her career in publishing.
When asked what led her to her current job, she said, "I know that a great
book is priceless to a student. Of course having a good teacher is a plus
too!" Leslie said that it was her first calculus course, and later a course
in Abstract Algebra, that spawned her lasting interest in mathematics. "The
subjects seemed so beautiful. They were interesting and challenging. I
think it helped that I got to use two exceptional books for these courses.
They were clearly written for the student: friendly but not condescending,
concise but not terse, filled with illustrative examples that don't 'give
away the store' but guide the user through the challenges of the material.
These books made a huge difference. For me, they provided stepping-stones
to go beyond the coursework assigned in each class. I started reading other
math books on my own, and I went on from there."

The Career

Developmental Editors perform many of the duties that make a book ready for
production. They shepherd the project through the editorial process,
working closely with the author. Leslie told us that "As a developmental
editor for math text books, I read manuscripts and use the skills
associated with both an English major and a mathematician. I look at
content on two levels: Does the material make sense from a mathematics
perspective? Does it also clearly express the concept?" Leslie also works
with reviewers during the editorial process. "For example, I send out the
manuscript with a questionnaire that I develop and the reviewers are asked
to answer questions regarding content and pedagogy. Their feedback is
invaluable."

Leslie's math background is important during this review process. "I
consider my background in mathematics to be a huge asset to my position. I
am able to have discussions based on the subject matter. I also like this
material and I'm genuinely interested in it. I think it really makes a
difference that I can share this interest with the author and reviewers."

Leslie feels that the primary responsibilities of a D.E. won't change
significantly, even with the advent of things like "books on demand" and
other emerging electronic formats. "The actual format of the book may vary,
but we still need to develop the content. I think that the way I do my job
will change, naturally, with advancements in technology. I perform a large
portion of my job using e-mail as communication, sending out things
electronically. The speed of communication has accelerated the rate at
which a developmental editor is expected to produce the end product. I have
to stay on top of changes in publishing software and other PC
developments." We asked Leslie for some general advice for students and
other emerging mathematicians, "As early as you can, start talking to your
professors about what you can do with a math degree. Get internships.
Foster an appreciation of other subjects as well. A good general background
comes into play when interviewing for a job, and performing that job. You
might be a brilliant mathematician, but can you express your ideas clearly
and effectively?"

Other jobs with related responsibilites

Acquisitions Editor, Book Editor for elementary and secondary mathematics
textbooks, Educational Software Developer

Skills required for this position:
(5 = most important; 0-1 hardly at all)

Mathematics
5

Communication
5

Statistics
3

Business
3

Computer know-kow
4

Engineering
1

Computer Science
1


Barbara Hamilton
Manager, Information Support Services
Institute for Defense Analysis
BS, MA Mathematics
Central Michigan University
Masters in Library Science
Rutgers University

Barbara's Background

As a child, Barbara Hamilton helped her older brother with his math
homework. She considered this to be one of the early signs that she had a
knack for mathematics. Barbara remembers her sixth and seventh grade
teachers as being particularly pivotal. "My math teachers realized that the
kids at that age are at all sorts of different levels mathematically." In
college she chose mathematics, even though she was faced with other
options. "I found the more 'practical' majors (like accounting) really
boring. I liked chemistry and physics also; I even worked in the chemical
lab during the summers doing quality assurance (where I was hounded by the
chemists to change my major from mathematics to chemistry, but I liked
mathematics better.)" After college, Barbara worked as a cryptologic
mathematician for the Department of Defense. She also worked for
Renaissance Technologies, where she wrote documentation that would describe
the software used for modeling the commodities market. RenTech used
mathematical models to forecast the market, and thus trade accordingly.

The Career

Barbara is currently in charge of the mathematics library for the Institute
for Defense Analyses; Center for Communications Research Division in
Princeton, New Jersey. IDA is an FFRDC (Federally Funded Research and
Development Center). "We do research work for agencies in the Department of
Defense." The IDA's library of books, journals, and electronic materials
has been in existence for nearly forty years. As fate would have it,
Barbara was looking for something new when the position opened up. "I was
offered a temporary research job, but wasn't sure I wanted to do that
anymore. While we were negotiating this position the librarian retired
(with rather short notice) and they offered the job to me. I took it and
then got a Master's in Library Science." Barbara uses her math skills
everyday in the library. "I sort of live in both worlds. Because of my MS
in Mathematics, I can understand what my clients are trying to ask me. And
with my MLS, I can understand what Librarians mean." Daily responsibilities
include buying books for the library. "I complain to publishers about high
prices," she jokes. She makes sure the library is getting what it needs.
She also supervises typists who prepare reports for their sponsor on the
work that their research staff is doing, and corresponds with the research
staff to make sure they have the appropriate research materials.

As far as advice goes, Barbara suggests the students take classes that
they're interested in, "You'll learn more," she says. She suggests getting
an early start. "If I could do it over again, I would start looking at
potential careers earlier. I waited until my senior year before I started
thinking about a career."

Barbara feels that in general, mathematics and research have a very bright
future. Barbara told us that, "research into mathematical theories and
ideas is not shrinking. Over the past few years, the IDA has started
looking into new areas of mathematics that we were not interested in
before. I think there will always be new things to discover in mathematics,
as long as people keep looking."

Skills required for this position:
(5 = most important; 0-1 hardly at all)

Mathematics
5

Communication skills
5

Statistics
5

Computer skills
4

Computation
2

Teamwork
4

Engineering
0


Dr. Jeff Sachs
Director and Senior Investigator
Applied Computer Science and Mathematics Department
Merck Research Labs, Merk & Co., Inc.
Sc.B. and Sc.M. Applied Mathematics, Brown University
Ph.D. Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jeff's Background

When Jeff was a small child he always wanted to be a doctor. He told people
that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon. "But I was always surrounded by and
enjoyed science and mathematics, largely because my father was a physics
professor. Also, I was lucky enough to go to the University of Chicago
Laboratory Schools elementary school where the science curriculum (and
teachers!) were inspiring, and I lived only about four blocks from the
Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago." When he was 11 he learned
Fortran, a scientific and mathematical programming language. "I remember
thinking 'well, that's it for medicine, I think I want to do this science
and math stuff instead... It'll be fun to use computers to do that."

Jeff entered college as a physics major, then changed to mathematics, and
then to applied math. "My switch to applied math was partly due to the
great teachers I had, like H. Thomas Banks, Wendell Flemming, Russell
Caflish, (the late) A. C. Pipkin, and Harold Kushner. Another part was
feeling that I didn't think like a physicist when I solved physics
problems, yet wanted to feel a connection between what I studied and its
practical application."

Many courses have affected Jeff's career choices. "Certainly the style of
research and analysis in applying continuum electromechanochemistry taught
by my thesis advisor Alan Grozinsky and his advisor Jim Melcher had and
continues to have a profound influence on my thinking. One of the most
important skills I learned from Alan was scientific writing. I still hope
to someday be as clear and concise as I was after he edited my work!"
Specifically, some of the courses Jeff mentioned that made a difference in
applying Jeff's course of study to his career are: Differential Equations
(Tom Banks), Stochastic Processes (Harold Kushner), Partial Differential
Equations (Phil Davis, K.K.Tung), Asymptotic Methods (Steven Orszag), Fluid
Mechanics (Andrew Fowler, Alar Toomre, Harvey Greenspan), and numerical
analysis. "Also my non-math graduate courses in mechanical engineering,
chemical engineering, and physiology have had a great influence on my
ability to collaborate effectively in multi-disciplinary environments."

Jeff worked in academic labs during his summers in high school and as an
undergraduate, mostly doing computer programming (software engineering),
but also some lab work repairing instrumentation and building things. After
graduate school he worked first in academia in applied physics at
University of Tokyo, in math and computer science at Clarkson University,
biomedical engineering at Northwestern University, and at NIST in the
biotechnology division. He then went into industry, working for a
mathematics consulting firm. "This was a great educational experience, as I
had an excuse to learn many new subjects, including signal processing,
pattern recognition, and biotechnology basics. It also gave me a lot of
practice in presenting very technical work to non-technical audiences. This
is a key skill for scientists and mathematicians in industry!"

The Career

Jeff's current position at Merck draws on his past experience, and presents
some new challenges. "In close collaboration with my colleagues, I perform
scientific research. I also design technologies and experimental and data
analysis protocols that help other scientists do their work. I design and
(usually with support from others) implement algorithms and user interfaces
to help make it easy for colleagues to use the methods that we invent."
Jeff leads others in doing similar work and in implementing the software,
helps evaluate technologies brought to Merck by other companies, and helps
in strategic technology planning. Jeff was introduced to his job at Merck
by participating in a meeting held by one of many professional
organizations. "I gave a technical talk at a SIAM conference and my current
supervisor [at Merck] was there. He was just starting to build our
department and asked me to have lunch, then an interview, ... then to
join." The main reason Jeff joined the team at Merck was that "I had always
most enjoyed applications of math to biotechnology and healthcare. I felt
that this position would be my best opportunity to learn new things and to
have a real impact on human health."

Daily tasks for Jeff are similar to many other office jobs, "I read and
send email, talk on the phone, and meet with people. The difference from
most jobs, though, is the subject matter for all these interactions.
Typically, I speak with scientists about their goals for a class of data
analyses, scientific questions of interest to them, or results of analyzing
a particular data set. I'll meet with my colleagues to review a version of
software in terms of either its algorithm or user interface. I meet with
people that I supervise to make sure I know what they and their teams are
doing, to advise them on their actions, and to make sure that they have
everything I can provide for them to help them get their work done and that
they are continuing to grow technically and professionally. When I get
really lucky I get time to read scientific literature or analyze data or
write some software."

Jeff isn't short on advice:

"Study software engineering, writing and public speaking, statistics and
probability, and at least two fields of application of mathematics. The
rigor of the thought process we learn in math is extremely valuable even in
non-technical fields. But if you want to use math in industry (and in many
places in academia) you will need to put some of your ideas into an
acceptable format through software, or at least to understand what that
process involves. I don't know any employers 'of mathematicians as
mathematicians' (outside pure math academic departments) who don't require
some knowledge of the software engineering process. Writing and public
speaking are two critical communication skills that will have at least as
much impact on your career as the technical content of your work.
Statistics and probability will be useful in almost any technical career,
and necessary for most. And understanding applications, even if they are
different than anything you do in a job, will be critical to learning how
to understand different perspectives on problem solving and the necessity
of understanding the vocabulary relevant to people working on that
application."

Jeff thinks that applications of math in biology and biotechnology will be
an exciting and productive place to work for a very long time. He also
believes that there will always be positions available for those who enjoy
applying math to very practical problems. However, the requirements for
those positions will continue to be very competitive, due to hiring rates
being limited by economic conditions, and because of an increasing number
of people aware of and qualified for such positions. Those applicants with
excellent scholastic records who can demonstrate successful experiences in
obtaining and communicating results will have the best advantage.

Jeff offers some inspiring thoughts: "The most important thing is to find
something you really love to do and would enjoy doing all day for a few
years. It is such a joy to have a job that is fun and feels like it
contributes to society. If you can do this, then you are very likely to
feel fulfilled in your life and to do well in your career."

Skills required for this position:
(5 = most important; 0-1 hardly at all)

Communication skills
5

Teamwork
5

Computer skills
4

Statistics
4

Math
4

Biology, chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry
3

Engineering
3




How do I get there?


The preceding profiles above show the wide-range of possibilities available
to individuals studying applied mathematics or computer science. Now, here
are a few suggestions for mapping out the future...

Use your school's resources.
How do you find such a career opportunity? Your school's career center will
help you find a job in your area of interest. At the very least, services
like assessment tests can help you narrow your search to suit your
personality and ability. There are many resources available through a
career services venue such as resume help, interview preparation, and job
opening announcements.

Arnie Kohen is a career counselor at Drexel University's Steinbright Career
Development Center. Arnie's position provides an interesting set of
services for students-- services that are not always utilized. "I help
students with a career assessment through the administration of personality
and interest inventories. Interpretations are individualized and are gratis
to the student. These assessments and subsequent interpretation will enable
a student to look at the elements of a program or major and say, ' I know I
want to research or pursue these options '. They can come to me and learn
about other available career center and university services, that will help
them determine their field of interest."

We asked Arnie about what students might not realize regarding the
additional services at the Career Center. He told us that the career center
has "several events throughout the year where students can come and make
contacts and network with employers: they can receive resume critiques by
the employers; attend job and career fairs; participate in on-campus
recruiting; and come to various networking functions and information
sessions. If a student doesn't take advantage of these services, they are
probably missing out on understanding the current job market." As far as
non-academic careers in the applied sciences, he explained that
universities make up a small portion of the potential co-op and post-grad
employers in those fields. "Recently, we've seen increased recruiting
efforts by government agencies, and especially in the Philadelphia area,
we've seen a variety of scientific positions available from pharmaceutical
companies."

Overall, a visit to your university's career center could only help your
search for a career that best suits your interests. That's what they're
there for-- to make sure that students are well equipped in making the
transition from school to career, and to make that transition as smooth as
possible.

Experiment with internships, summer jobs, work-study, etc.
What better way to determine the range of opportunities and explore
possible areas of interest than to actually be in the workplace? With an
internship, you can get a realistic feel for the field in which you're
interested. Most importantly, you can make connections for future
opportunities. Many internships turn into permanent positions, and even if
they don't the experience will broaden your perspective and help narrow
your career search.

Do your research.
There are mountains of information available on the web, in libraries, and
in bookstores. This may sound like simple advice-but while you're obtaining
your degree, be aware of the career options that correspond to your
studies. Too often, students emerge without a point of reference or general
direction. Listed below are specific resources that offer support,
information, and more professional profiles.

Professional Societies for Mathematical Sciences, Computational Science,
and Statistics
American Mathematical Society (AMS)
201 Charles Street
Providence, RI 02904-2213
(401) 455-4000
Toll free: 800-321-4AMS (4267)
fax: (401) 331-3842
ams@ams.org
http://www.ams.org

American Statistical Association (ASA)
1429 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3415
(703) 684-1221
Toll free: 888-231-3473
fax: (703) 684-2037
asainfo@amstat.org
http://www.amstat.org

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
(212) 626-0500
Toll free: 800-342-6626
fax: 212-944-1318
webmaster@acm.org
http://www.acm.org

Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM)
4114 Computer & Space Sciences Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-2461
(301) 405-7892
fax: 301-314-9363
awm@math.umd.edu

Computing Research Association (CRA)
1100 Seventeenth Street NW, Suite 507
Washington, DC 20036-4632
(202) 234-2111
fax: (202) 667-1066
info@cra.org
http://www.cra.org

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
901 Elkridge Landing Road, Suite 400
Linthicum, MD 21090-2909
(410) 850-0300
Toll Free: 800-4INFORMS
fax: (410) 684-2963
informs@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
http://www.informs.org

Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
1529 Eighteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-1358
(202) 387-5200
fax: (202) 265-2384
maahq@maa.org
http://www.maa.org

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)
3600 University City Science Center
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2688
(215) 382-9800
fax: (215) 386-7999
siam@siam.org
http://www.siam.org

Books
101 Careers in Mathematics, Second Edition
Andrew Sterrett, Editor, The Mathematical Association of America; 2nd
edition (January 3, 2003)

Great Careers for People Interested in Math and Computers (Career
Connections, Vol 1)
Peter Richardson, Bob Richardson, U*X*L; (June 1993)

Prentice Hall Guide to Scholarships and Fellowships for Math and Science
Students: A Resource for Students Pursuing Careers in Mathematics, Science
Mark Kantrowitz, Joann P. Digennaro (Contributor), Prentice Hall Trade;
(March 1999)

Great Jobs for Math Majors
Stephen E. Lambert, Julie Ann Degalan, Ruth J. Decotis,
McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books; (November 11, 1998)

Young Women of Achievement: A Resource for Girls in Science, Math, and
Technology
Frances A. Karnes, Kristen R. Stephens, Prometheus Books; (March 2002)

Video and CD: "Careers in Mathematics" -Part of the Sloan Career
Cornerstone Series, available from SIAM.

Links
SIAM corporate members and sponsors have shown their support for the
applied math and computational science community through their interest in
SIAM. We recommend that students look at the company home pages listed on
our website. Search for career opportunities, explore the job descriptions
for keywords and catch phrases, and get acquainted with the type of
opportunities available!

Network
Join a professional organization, such as SIAM or AMS. Attend meetings.
Connect with other individuals in your field.

Terry Herdman, Director at the Interdisciplinary Center for Applied
Mathematics and member of SIAM, had this to say about the benefits of
networking: "Through networking, one has the opportunity to gain knowledge
from the experiences of others, learn of the various environments and
opportunities of the applied mathematician and computational scientist and
thus have a solid basis for making career decisions."

About SIAM

Inspired by the vision that applied mathematics should play an important
role in advancing science and technology in industry, a small group of
professionals from academe and industry met in Philadelphia in 1951 to
start an organization whose members would meet periodically to exchange
ideas about the uses of mathematics in industry. This meeting led to the
organization of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

The goals of SIAM are to advance the application of mathematics to science
and industry, promote mathematical research that could lead to effective
new methods and techniques for science and industry, and provide media for
the exchange of information and ideas among mathematicians, engineers, and
scientists.

Today, SIAM publishes both books and journals, and our monthly periodical
SIAM News. There are roughly 12 SIAM conferences per year, along with
various networking opportunities. Academically, we look forward to the
continued development and growth of SIAM student chapters, student
membership, and our Visiting Lecture Program. Please see our website for
more information!

Acknowledgements
Works Cited, Contributors:

Bill Kolata, Technical Director at SIAM

SIAM News

101 Careers in Mathematics, Second Edition
Andrew Sterrett, Editor, The Mathematical Association of America; 2nd
edition (January 3, 2003)

The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, Workshop on the
Mathematics of Computer Animation

  
































   
   
















These images were featured in the SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems
(SIADS).















  
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Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
3600 University City Science Center
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 382-9800
webmaster@siam.org
? Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics


   

Updated: LBH 7/9/04