MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS ALUMNI
Explore short profiles of some of the graduates from our department. The profiles are organized by graduation year and then alphabetically. If you are a graduate and you would like to share your experience, contact us at math@villanova.edu!
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I started my PhD in Physics working in quantum computing.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
The basis for quantum computing lies with Hilbert Spaces so I use that all the time. I use differential geometry and numerical analysis often as tools to solve problems without analytical solutions. Additionally, I use linear algebra a lot every day.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience at Villanova allowed me to explore the areas of mathematics that I thought were interesting/useful while still getting a comprehensive mathematics education.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I always loved being able to walk into a professors office and get help with a topic I struggled with even if not part of the regular coursework. I loved how friendly everyone was and how they all want you to succeed in your career.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
My advice for current majors is to make the most of the department by taking classes you find interesting and not be afraid of taking graduate coursework!
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I currently work as a Pricing Analyst at Travelers in a product management leadership development program.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
My role is heavily reliant on analytics and using data to make strategic decisions about how we price our insurance products. An understanding of mathematical models and metrics is foundational to my role!
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Above all, the math curriculum has taught me how to think critically and attack unanswered problems with a variety of solutions. That skill applies to nearly every role, and has already jumpstarted my career.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I was very involved in the Association for Women in Mathematics club over my four years, and have so many great memories with our advisors and fellow members from traveling to DC to speak with congresspeople to visiting Google in NYC to hosting speakers and movie nights!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get to know your professors!
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I am in my first year as a high school math teacher. I am currently teaching Calculus CP, Honors, and AP as well as Statistics CP and Discrete Math CP.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am using math every day, it may not be the math I exactly learned at Villanova, but I am teaching Calculus and Statistics every day.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience has prepared me for my current position by challenging me through my courses to achieve and learn all I can. By learning those challenging topics, it made me learn every little detail about the math I am teaching so I can be prepared to answer any question that comes my also. Also allowed me to know the material well enough for me to explain it to my students in a way they understand it and can grow with it.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Some of my best memories of the Math Department are making the best of friends in my classes and working in the office. Both these experiences gave me people in my life at Villanova who made my Villanova experience amazing. Working in the office allowed me to get to know the professors on a personal level, even professors that I was unable to have. It is just a welcoming atmosphere that felt like home away from home.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
My advice would be to get to know as many people as you possibly can and step out of your comfort zone whether it be with opportunities, clubs, etc. Take the risk on applying to that internship or job because you never know what will happen.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Attended the ESTEEM program at the University of Notre Dame and will be graduating in May 2021.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
In the summer, I will start work as a Data Science Consultant in Washington, DC.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
What I learned and the projects I did at Villanova landed me the job I have and were a big topic in my interview process.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I loved the data science course I took, it is what turned me on to a whole other side of math that I found really interesting.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Think a lot about what you want to do in your job after graduation, there are so many different ways you can use a math major in your job that it can get kind of overwhelming.
Date: April, 2021
MAJOR: Economics & Business Analytics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Technology Consulting at Ernst & Young.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Data Science.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Problem Solving and Quantitative Thinking!
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Business Intelligence Developer at IGS Energy.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
My role is to build reports and dashboards for business users in my company. I need to understand what data is available, how to get it, clean it, and effectively present it to our end users. I use concepts from my math and statistics courses all the time when working with data and trying to develop the most effective ways to build something of value for the business.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
In my statistics courses we frequently did assignments to practice cleaning, visualizing, and modeling data. All of my math classes helped develop my thought process and improved myself as a learner. I feel confident in my ability to grasp concepts at work and understand complex ideas because of my math background.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Don't be afraid to try something career-wise and not like it. Especially while in school, there is plenty of time to change your path because your preferences change. Knowing what you don't like can be valuable in determining what you are interested in. Everyone is unique, so take time to know what is important to you and don't feel like you need to fit into a certain path or process anyone else is doing.
Date: April, 2021
MAJOR: Comprehensive Science
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Began working in June of 2020 as a pharmaceutical market researcher.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am a quantitative market researcher in the pharmaceutical industry. We are constantly working with data from surveys, digging through to find trends and significant differences in order to get to the bottom of our clients business needs. We use advanced analytics in order to deliver the data we collect in a clear yet unique way - many of these methods are based in Java or R Shiny.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The knowledge I gained throughout the Villanova math minor program has made me well prepared for my professional career. From coding to statistics to excel tricks, I am well prepped for the math I come across every day.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Joining the Augustinian order and teaching at Malvern prep.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am teaching pre calc at Malvern and plan with the order in the future to continue teaching.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Not only math skills, but the faculty at nova have some great teaching skills and show how much a teacher can care about their students.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Work and struggle together; it’s fun when you do it with others. I still am owed a t-shirt from a design i came up with, so don’t expect any handouts I guess. I hope you guys have the softball game this year still!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Keep all your notebooks and buy textbooks to keep in upper level classes.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Current job: Management Consultant at CapTech Ventures, Inc. An information technology services consulting firm.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I support software development lifecycle implementations and as a consultant have worked on engagements with user acceptance testing. This involves a lot of logical and critical thinking, similar to many mathematics courses I took at Villanova. In this role, you need to be detail oriented and quick to synthesize a problem and offer a solution. My way of thinking aligns very well with the skills I was taught as a Mathematics major.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience at Villanova effectively prepared me for my current position. The critical thinking skills I was taught as a math major allows me to be successful in my current consulting role.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Reach out to Villanova Math alumni that may be in a post graduation career that you would like to go into as well. Networking and taking classes targeted towards your post career goals is the best advice I can provide!
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Rotational program for business management and finance at JPMorgan Chase.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I have needed to use basic math skills for portfolio performances.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Got me to truly think outside the box.
Date: April, 2021
MAJOR: Economics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I work as a market analyst for OneDigital.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I constantly use my statistics knowledge to analyze reports on healthcare claims.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I got to use many softwares to prepare me for what I use now at work. Additionally we spent a lot of time on analysis and what the data means, not just finding the numbers. This has set me apart from my peers thus far in my career as I already had those skills developed.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Every single one of my stats teachers were amazing!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Stick with it! Those problem solving skills will take you far beyond the classroom. Go cats!
Date: April, 2021
MAJOR: Chemistry
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I completed a 6-month internship at Polysciences (chemical manufacturing company) in Warrington, PA from Jan-Aug 2020 before beginning graduate school for Chemistry at William & Mary in Aug 2020.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am in an analytical chemistry research lab and am taking classes heavily focused on instrumentation and computational chemistry; all of these fields of chemistry have foundations in mathematics (and physics).
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My minor in math from Villanova has given me a larger working knowledge of the bases of the tools I hope to utilize in my future career in analytical chemistry and helped me understand the tools at a much deeper level. Instead of only knowing the “what” of all of the different instrumental and computational techniques I use, I better understand the “how” and “why” and can more easily adapt and adjust my approach depending on the nature of the problem I want to solve.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Work at FactSet.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
My company is in fintech so I use a lot of coding and math in my everyday life. A lot of my clients are using different stat models and I’m constantly working with numbers.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
A large part of my job is problem solving on my own and I really think my math major prepared me to do this successfully on my own. Although it may not necessarily be directly related to math I used in college, my math degree significantly strengthened my problem solving skills which really gave me an advantage when moving into the working world.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Alexander Diaz-Lopez and both Dr. Pasles’s are three teachers I always think about when looking back at my math career. We were fortunate enough to have math teachers that really cared about us and while I don’t necessarily have a specific memory, I look back at my experience as a math major very positively because of these teachers
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Always take advantage of office hours, not just to do well in a class but to also get to know the teachers.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Deloitte Consultant.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Math provided me with foundational strategic and problem solving skills that I apply on a daily basis at my job to solve business challenges.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
The math professors at Villanova are so supportive! Take advantage of office hours and get to know them - you will be so grateful of all that you learn from them in this one-on-one time.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Be open to a range of job opportunities - your degree provides you with a variety of skills that can be applied to numerous roles.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Gotten an MBA, started Navy flight school.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Flying is math-heavy. Flight planning, in-flight decision making, takeoff and landing all require math on the fly (pun intended) to be successful.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The analytical fundamentals that are key to a mathematics course of study are timeless.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Work hard and visit your professors in their offices. They always have good tips, snacks, advice, and sometimes even a dog with them!
Date: April, 2021
MAJOR: Physics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I'm finishing my second year of a PhD program in physics at the University of Rochester.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Math is the language of physics. As a theoretical physicist, my job hinges on the ability to perform calculations and interpret mathematical results.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Getting a math minor introduced me to classes like foundations of mathematics and advanced calculus, which have aided my ability to think logically. I rarely perform proofs in my daily line of work, and still, the skills I gained in those classes has caused me to think much more critically, which can be directly applied to any physical problem.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Don't be afraid to take classes that stray from the standard set that you anticipate you'll need. If you're involved in pure mathematics, that could mean taking a mathematical physics class, or if you're mostly concerned with applied math, perhaps taking a more abstract course. A great deal of math (and physics) has been discovered by paying attention to patterns and symmetries. Be on the lookout for math in the world around you, in unexpected places, like doors with multiple locks, or the tee game at Cracker Barrel! You never know what you might come up with and connect to other systems.
Date: April, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I work at MassMutual as an actuary and as part of the Actuarial Leadership Development Program. I've attained my Associate of the Society of Actuaries and am currently pursuing my Fellowship.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Math connects to my career every day! Being an actuary integrates math with business, economics, and communication. It may be surprising, but I've been in meetings with other actuaries where we talked about first and second derivatives and how we could use that to solve a business problem.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The math classes at Villanova changed the way I approach problem solving - whether it's a math problem or not, the logical and critical thinking skills I gained through the math major helps me to be successful in my current job.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Since graduating, I have worked for the New York Yankees in two different roles. When I started I was a Diversity Fellow, a role created by MLB to bring more women and minorities into front offices. In that position I split time between analytics and general baseball operations work. In the summer of 2019, I switched to my current role as an Advance Scouting Analyst. This role is on the player development side, and I travel with a minor league team during the season providing support from the advance scouting side and the analytics side.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I do a lot of work on the analytics side. While I do not build models myself, I often have to communicate what goes into our models to our coaches and explain data to our players. My foundational knowledge of math is essential to understanding underlying concepts that help me effectively communicate, and apply, the information we pull from data to coaches and players.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My experience with math at Villanova taught me to ask a lot of questions. There is always going to be another layer to peel back, another way you may need to attack a problem. It is essential to understand exactly what and how you are trying to solve or apply something, and my experience in the classroom really helped me learn the importance of understanding the full picture.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Do not put yourself in a box. There are so many different industries that have use for math majors. Be on the lookout for ways to tie math into the industry you are most interested in, the possibilities are only expanding.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Communication
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I got a job in the summer of 2018 and have been working for the company since then. It is a video broadcasting company and I am currently a video/broadcast engineer.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am constantly using the organization and problem solving skills learned through my math minor to approach and attack troubleshooting situations within the broadcast world.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Problem solving has definitely been the most useful. Knowing that I need to look at the broader picture in order to attack and problem has been greatly useful.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Electrical Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked in industry as Electrical Engineer, as well as obtained Masters degree in Electrical Engineering.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I don’t do intense math that often, but linear algebra comes up the most. I rely mostly on simulation tools which do the math for me. Approximations are made so you can make estimates with simple math, then simulate to get complete answer.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I think the stats classes, and linear algebra classes helped me the most.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Economics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Completed graduate school fellowship program, currently work as high school math and special education teacher.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I teach it!
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The education provided a great advanced understanding of the material I now teach, and the professors demonstrated creative methods to break down math content.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Dr. Ashley and Dr. Bernhardt were both really friendly, quirky dudes who made class feel comfortable and more relaxed. That’s a nice change up, especially if students are used to math being a stressful experience.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Never stop learning!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
PhD in statistics.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
In a math affiliated graduate program so it's pretty useful.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Most of the classes were rigorous and helpful.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
The softball game was fun every year. A lot of individual class moments were always fun. Datafest was great.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
If you want to continue your math education, attend the seminars! They're usually cool. Also, take as many electives as possible, and try to really thoroughly understand the connection between all of them. Also, please participate in Datafest. It’s a great weekend event.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Currently attending graduate school at Fordham University Gabelli School of Business.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am studying business analytics where my prior knowledge of statistics has come in handy.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
An undergrad degree in math was just the first step into the career path I want to take, so I would say it definitely put me in a mindset to return to school to advance in life.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I'm actually currently working on a project based off my final project in Dr. Frey's Stat Models class. Proof that undergrad can come back to be beneficial in many different ways!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Get some knowledge in programming languages such as Python or R since most careers dealing with math require some sort of prior experience.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Investment Banking Analyst – Jefferies and Private Investment Associate - Tarsadia Investments
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use math every day on the job when conducting financial analysis.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Though I rarely use the technical skills I learned at a math major, I feel the way in which the major challenged me to think critically has paid meaningful dividends in my young career to date.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Student v Faculty baseball game was fun. Always enjoyed classes with Dr Volpert (among others!)
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Take classes in the areas in which you feel you need the most improvement. So often people recommend that you try to “run up the score” in the subject areas at which you are the best, but math is math and the more areas in which you are challenged to apply the skillset, the better. I am biased, but I think it’s one of the best majors you can pick and you should feel confident that you made a great decision to major in math, especially with the great faculty at Nova.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Currently in medical school pursuing MD degree.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
There’s actually a lot of equations we have to learn in medical school and I can say my other peers strongly dislike it but having a math background has made using and solving these equations very easy.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Take any class you can with Dr. Ashley! He was one of my favorite professors at Villanova (including non-math professors as well)
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
I only had a minor in math but I enjoyed all 8 of my classes very much and wish that my schedule would have fit more. The math department as a whole was extremely helpful and approachable both in the classroom and from an advising standpoint. Although I didn’t pursue a direct career in mathematics, the Villanova math department gave me a solid foundation that has definitely given me an advantage in medical school.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
From 2017-2018 I received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Scholarship to Indonesia. Since then I have been a 7th and 8th grade teacher for the past three years in the School District of Philadelphia.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am a math educator!
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience at Villanova has challenged me to share my love of math with the youth of Philadelphia. I share many of the applications of mathematics with my students today. Additionally, it provided m with the ability to look critically at data and encourage my students to do the same!
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
One of my favorite memories is being in class with both Dr. Paul and Elise Pasles. They were caring and supportive faculty members who guided me a lot during my undergraduate experience.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Be persistent and don't be afraid to ask for help!
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Mechanical Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Work in aerospace engineering, joined a city run club, joined a rowing club on boathouse row.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I design and run performance on a multitude of aircraft and am a flight test director. I use math daily for flight speeds, sizing, and many other tasks.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I learned how to use different equations, books, and approaches to compare a multitude of answers and tests.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Taking Fundamentals of Math was my favorite course. So much fun and so informative.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Keep going. It might seem tough now but it WILL pay off and you’ll be proud of yourself for pushing through and be stronger for it. My overall experience at Villanova was great and set me up for an amazing career.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked as a pension actuary.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Lots of statistics and financial mathematics underlying the software that we use; consulting with clients on how future demographic and economic factors will impact the cost of their pension plans.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The statistics classes in particular were great for giving me a background that was helpful for actuarial science.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Just that I wish I was back at Villanova taking math classes - I loved my time there!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Pursue further the classes and concepts that you’re most passionate about - see what jobs will use the concepts that you love most. For example, statistics and actuarial science are a good match.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Computer Science
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Software developer at 3M corporate research labs.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I work on a team of data scientists who rely on their math backgrounds when creating algorithms. My familiarity with linear algebra has been a great help. We also collaborate with teams creating first principles based physics models.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
As a software developer I need an understanding of math to be able to work with the day scientists and physicists in my job. Linear algebra is crucial for understanding deep learning and being able to keep up with current research in the field.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Dr. Woldar’s class on coding theory was a great exercise on working collaboratively on tough problems. It’s the class that most closely resembles my job. Collaborating and being able to discuss technical problems well is so important in industry.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
After graduating in 17', I received a job offer from Standard & Poors (S&P Global) to work as a data analyst. I quickly realized data wasn't my passion and I applied for a financial position at S&P, where I currently work as a credit analyst for Commercial Real Estate transactions within the CMBS team. I underwrite and analyze the largest commercial real estate deals in the United States. I've also earned my MBA through CU Boulder's part time program and will be graduating in May, 21'.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Part of being an excellent mathematician is paying attention to detail. This should translate into whatever field you enter as well. In finance, being absolutely sure of what you are presenting to MD's and clients is crucial. If you make mistakes on the little things, how can they trust you with the big things? The more you pay attention to detail -> the less mistakes you have -> the more your team trusts you and -> the faster you are promoted.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I think the biggest thing it did was deter me from a field in statistics. I entered undergrad thinking I wanted to become an actuary, but the program helped me understand my own strengths, which ultimately led to a career in finance.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Shoutout to Dr. Frey and Dr. Volpert who were some of the most influential and positive professors during my time at Villanova. Always willing to listen and talk. Truly exceptional people.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Some career advice that was given to me when I began my MBA: If you're ever at a point in your career where you dislike both the field you work in and the company you work for, it is exponentially harder to change both at the same time. So learn to pivot. I worked in data at S&P. I disliked data, but enjoyed working at S&P - so I stayed at the company and pivoted to a new field (finance). Now I have options to work at other finance firms. But if I had tried to leave the company and get a job in finance with only a data background, it would have been much more difficult. Best of luck to every undergrad at Villanova. It's a great University that will open doors, so make human connections throughout your career. You'll realize at some point that networking is everything. Never stop pushing yourself - complacency is the dream killer.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I went straight to the University of Pennsylvania for my PhD in Economics. I am currently in my fourth year of study.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Economists use math, statistics, and computer science in all of our research. Math is the language of economics and we use it daily.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The faculty were inspiring and incredibly supportive at every step of the way. When I realized I wanted to attend graduate school, several faculty members offered to guide independent studies in real analysis and abstract algebra to help me prepare for the PhD program. They were so generous with their time and attention, and I couldn't have made it this far without them. The Villanova Math Department is amazing.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Embrace the frustration you will experience working on challenging problem sets. That feeling of frustration is your mathematical intuition being developed, which is everything. Likewise, do not worry too much about grades. It is FAR more important to actually learn, improve, and grow than to appear accomplished. The real world values skills, not accolades.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Physics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Research tech, quality engineer, process safety engineer with Versum Materials.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Doing math as I got this email (gas dispersion analysis to calculate toxic gas release amounts).
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I feel extremely marketable. Seemingly endless opportunities when you have strong math foundation.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Asking Gluchoff to help solve a difficult math problem after class. Don't remember the details, but the group of us we're amazed when he put his hand to his chin in thought, then spewed the answer on the spot! The professors at Villanova are an invaluable resource. Spend time with them, ask questions, get involved with their research, ask them to help mentor your own research... more and more opportunities will open.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Don't be afraid to diversify your curriculum. You never know what opportunities will present themselves, and having even one class in a niche field could set you apart from your competition. Consider taking a random capstone in a different department (e.g. engineering, astro) to supplement your mathematics degree. Wish I had the opportunity to take even more upper level math classes.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Comprehensive Science
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Graduated from DPT school in 2020.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use numbers and measures all the time for patients. Statistics is a huge part of my career.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Stat classes there helped prepare me for statistical analysis of data.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
If you plan to do post-grad, remember to learn the material for yourself not just for the tests!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I interned at NBC10 Philadelphia with digital media, and now work at ESPN as a Sports Content Researcher on SportsCenter, as well as fantasy football, college basketball, and baseball shows.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I build statistical graphics and provide numbers/facts for anchors and producers on shows, often leveraging sports analytics and data to add context to sports discussions.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Understanding the way your audience will perceive statistics and numbers is key in my role, as I build graphics for sports viewers that don't dive deep into data.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Keep your options open, you never know where opportunities will lead!
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Economics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked as a Financial Controller for JPM in Delaware doing accounting, currently I am in Middle Office covering derivative sales in NYC.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
When I did accounting, most of my day involved validating numbers and recalculating a balance sheet. Obviously things are done electronically but I did mental math and quick sanity checks throughout the day, which is easier for me to do than my colleagues who need calculators at all times. Knowing how to quickly solve a problem or being able to ballpark a calculation helped me think more quickly and make decisions faster. I don’t calculate as much in my currently role, but my teammates usually come to me to confirm they calculated something right when we need to.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Although I only minored in math, I feel like it sets me apart from the others I work with. Your mind works more analytically and at the basic level knowing there is a solution to everything is helpful in doing more complicated work. I also think the way you learn math is the same way you learn any job - it takes practice and patience but eventually your job can become second nature.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Pi day bake sales! I miss those!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Ask questions! It applies to school work and real life - if you aren’t 100% sure about something, it’s always better to ask for help before it’s too late. I actually have the math club Facebook group under my ownership and tried for a while to find someone to take it - please let me know who runs the math club now so I can transfer ownership!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Graduate school and work.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Math education related. Professional experience helps.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Not directly. Math is natural science.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Enjoy!
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Mechanical Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Work!
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Working as a manufacturing engineer.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Assisting me with engineering calculations.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
The helpfulness of the professors was very beneficial to my development as an engineer!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Study hard and listen to the advice given to you by your professors and alumni.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I currently work as a Consultant Relations Associate on the North American Institutional Sales Team at Invesco.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Although there is very little number crunching in my job, I use my problem-solving skills everyday.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I think the combination of my full degree (Mathematics and Economics double major with a Business minor) really set me up for success in the asset management industry. I think the combination of problem-solving skills, knowledge of the economy, and the introduction to finance that I received from FMR gave me a great foundation to be able to quickly learn about institutional asset management.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked at an investment firm, as a freelance software developer and now an IT manager for a finance company.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Working with my colleagues to problem solve technical issues and plan/execute tech projects.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Team work and humble ambition are two of the main attributes I gained from my experience at Nova. Seeking help from staff as a student prepared me to use the support of others to accomplish things I wouldn't have been able to do on my own.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Make yourself as resourceful as possible. Problem solving is one of the most tangible skills you can acquire as a mathematician. It can be applied to any profession and is a useful in your everyday life as well.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Working at SIG.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Heavy financial and quantitative focus in my role and at SIG in general.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I work in various coding languages so exposure to computer science classes as part of the major helped me gain familiarity. i have to think very algorithmically as well so the different ways of thinking, deriving, and problem solving from my school work come into play fairly frequently.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Never underestimate how many areas there are where you can apply a mathematical foundation to be successful.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Civil Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Work for a structural engineering firm that specializes in residential wood framing. My team does more commercial work (3-4 story apartment buildings).
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I do math everyday. In my mind, engineering is just advanced application of math principles in order to solve problems.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
It provided me resources to references back to and gave me a basis of things I know I've at least previously known. You can never know everything so being able to "refresh" on something you once knew is MUCH easier than learning a new concept.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Find something that is rewarding to you mentally!
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Computer Science
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Software engineering, overseas missions work.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I fixed bugs in device that uses elliptic curve cryptography.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
When the topological professor taught the continuum hypothesis. "It's true if you want it to be true and false if you want it to be false. Math is supposed to be objective." But there is still room for creativity!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Initially I tutored high school math students and SAT/ACT test prep. Then I accepted a high school math teaching position. This is my 5th year teaching there. In summer of 2020, I finished my Masters degree in Mathematics at West Chester University.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use it every day and currently focus on topics in Geometry and Precalculus.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Although I don't use the rigorous topics daily, my knowledge of higher-level mathematics allows me to have a deeper understanding of high school topics. I can help students make connections between different areas of mathematics and show them how math appears in life. Additionally, my knowledge and the exposure to a variety of courses in undergrad allowed me to succeed in a Masters program in mathematics.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I don't have specific moments to share besides the wonderful memories I have learning from Dr. Ashley and Dr. Styer. Dr. Ashley was extremely helpful and kind in my collegiate journey. Dr. Styer displays a passion for mathematics and I haven't encountered a professor as passionate as him since.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Keep going even if you don't meet your expectations. Math is a beautiful subject, but not every topic will be your favorite.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I have worked as an actuary at two companies - TMNA Services in Bala Cynwyd, PA and Liberty Mutual in Boston. I have recently been credentialed as a Fellow of the CAS. During my time with TMNA, I also had the opportunity to live and work in Tokyo, Japan for 2 months! My career as an actuary, rooted firmly in my mathematics background, has provided me with so much opportunity.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
It’s what I do every day! My day to day work includes applying theory, understanding statistics, and visualizing results for others.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
The range of courses that were available to me at Villanova greatly impacted my future in taking actuarial exams by giving me a breadth of knowledge to pull from. I even audited a Financial Math class with Dr. Volpert post-grad because it was so applicable to my work!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
There is a lot of opportunity out there for math-inclined people, you picked a great major!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Deloitte Consulting (2014-2019), Business School at University of Pennsylvania/Wharton (2019-present)
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am/was not ever doing calculus or statistics at work, but being a logical thinker and having a general analytical mindset is always useful and valuable on the job.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
People always seems to be impressed with math majors. I was prepared for basic analyses I needed to run for clients at work and I was especially prepared for the GMAT when I was applying to business school.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
In my last semester I thought I was going to fail Math Stats II and not graduate...slid by with a D!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
You can do a lot with a math major! It'd be helpful to teach programs like R or Python to undergrads if you don't already; excel skills are even more valued in the real world so more time in excel is also always good. Math majors are well suited for careers in consulting and even finance - some of the jobs advertised at the business school should also be advertised to math majors.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Work for IGT first as a Mathematician, now as a Game Designer/Producer.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Math is integral to slot design and development and brought me into the industry. Nowadays I don't do as much math but certainly use statistics and the psychology of those statistical experiences in my current role.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Honestly the liberal arts nature of the college and the breadth of subjects offered in the math department helped mold me into the math-driven professional I am now. I certainly wouldn't say a specific course was more valuable than another, but the whole set of courses prepared me extremely effectively.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I would always advocate to reach out to professors after hours or during office hours not only for specific help in courses, but also to share any passion for specific areas of interest or subject matter in mathematics. Developing a relationship with Dr. Ashley about random analysis topics was meaningful, even if I don't have any more to the memory with specific details!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Experience Villanova and the community. Make lasting friendships, and put the time in for your courses. Take advantage of electives and non-mathematics courses to explore other areas of interest/passions that might be valuable after graduation. Looking back I would have loved an opportunity to study more computer science and finance, things I've been fascinated now, long after graduation. Math in my mind can provide the foundation for so many successful careers, not limited to academia. I didn't know slot design had anything to do with mathematics until I applied to this company. There are so many industries that mathematicians can flourish and thrive in.
I would love to connect with recent graduates or current students about my post-graduation experiences. I'm not in active recruiting or anything like that, but I am happy to talk about my journey!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Graduated from law school (2017); passed bar exam (2017); work in commercial litigation practice at NJ based law firm, practicing primarily in NJ and NY.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Logic based courses were instrumental in helping me think through legal problems from start to finish. Developing a good legal argument is a lot like a mathematical proof.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Helped with my career and overall development.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Have a study group. Don't try to do everything on your own!
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I have had several jobs since graduating Villanova. I spent a little over a year working in schools as a substitute teacher, including a long-term substitute placement in a Kindergarten classroom. It is no surprise teaching Math was my favorite! However, I have since landed in the Actuarial field. After many years of hard work I am currently studying for my final actuarial exam. I now work at a large life insurance company in New York City. So far in my actuarial career I have held roles in Group Disability Financial Reporting, Data Analytics, Annuity Pricing, and Governance.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use math, primarily statistics, in my day-to-day work as an actuary. Actuarial exams are also a key part of the career and are essentially just very hard math tests.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I could not be successful at my job or with exams without the foundational math skills I learned at Villanova. However, I also believe the problem solving and communication skills I developed have been key factors in my success so far.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
My sophomore year I took Foundations of Math and had to write a paper on a book about math. I wrote my paper on the book A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper by John Allen Paulos. I think every mathematician and non-mathematician should read this book. It changed the way I think about math in our world and discuss math with non-mathematicians.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Realize that your math education is teaching you be a problem solver, which is one of the greatest skills a worker can have in any line of work.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
After graduation, I did a Fulbright scholarship in Spain then and received an M.S. in Biostatistics at Emory University. I now work as a Data Scientist/Statistician at a healthcare startup in NYC. Previously I have worked for the federal government and at a not-for-profit, and have performed biostatistics research projects in epidemiology, infectious diseases, cancer, and nutrition in Sweden, Spain, and Colombia.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am a statistician so I use math a great deal.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My experience studying math at Villanova gave me the foundation to pursue more advanced study in statistics in graduate school and gave me the critical thinking skills to solve complex problems and to code in different programming languages.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I really enjoyed Dr. Lup's classes, Dr. Posner's class, Dr. Styer's classes, and Steve's Calculus classes
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Math is an extremely versatile major. Be open to exploring its many diverse applications. If you plan to go to graduate school, Advanced Calculus is a very important course. If you plan to study statistics, Advanced Calculus and Mathematical Statistics are both extremely important. Math is applicable to basically every field. If you have other interests that seem completely irrelevant, they're probably much easier to intertwine with math than you think. If you can do so, you'll be much more attractive to whatever organization or company you're trying to impress, and probably more professionally and personally fulfilled. Math is harder than many majors, but math skills are much harder to acquire later on. Take as many math classes as you can tolerate in undergrad because there is no better time to soak it in, and it is MUCH harder to catch up later.
Date: March, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I am an entrepreneur, advocate, social impact strategist, brand strategy consultant, and digital campaign creator. I work on experiential and digital marketing campaigns, collaborate with non-profits (primarily in social justice and racial equity), and speak with high school and college students about social activism.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I don't use higher ed math directly in any of my work. However, I find the mathematical approach to problem solving and my studies of math history are very helpful in crafting communications strategies for myself and for clients.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My experience at Villanova generally was marred by social injustices at Villanova that impacted both me and my friends. It's impossible to talk about my experience at Villanova in any capacity without that coming up. For my math experience specifically, I often found myself as the only student pursuing another degree that was not a science. I found it helped me learn to work collaboratively with people who are in many ways very different from me, though I definitely found it difficult to find friends in my classes. There was sometimes a very unhealthy competitive dynamic wherein students didn't seem to want to help others for fear of ruining the curve. I also had a few unpleasant experiences in my studies that I learned from vis a vis handling situations that are unfair but need to be managed.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
I'd be happy to discuss my experience at Villanova -- in or out of the context of my math studies -- with anyone. I think it's hugely important for those conversations to help prepare and support prospective and current students.
Date: March, 2021
MAJOR: Chemical Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Vice President, Wealth Management Professional at Goldman Sachs
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Financial asset management
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Take advantage of office hours with your professors!
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I worked at Deutsche Bank for 5 years in Risk Management, then received my MBA from Dartmouth College. I now work in E-Commerce Operations at a start-up called Highfive Brands. I am employee #5
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I would say I haven't used modern algebra or advanced calculus in my career. But I think a mathematics degree really gives you a foundation for problem solving in business and being able to do anything. I used linear algebra and statistics a lot more in risk management
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Don't be afraid to apply for jobs that VSB is posting! Trust me there are lots of people in marketing and finance roles that have math degrees from other universities! Many people in the banking world don't have a business degree. So don't be afraid to apply! Taking a basic accounting class or marketing class will help you learn the lingo! The rest will be easy for you
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I have worked as a property & casualty actuary (fellow in the Casualty Actuarial Society), both in consulting and now with a P&C insurer.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use math daily in pricing insurance for various lines of business.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience at Villanova specifically prepared me for my career as it built the base of knowledge needed to pass the preliminary actuarial exams. I would also add that the well-rounded curriculum at Villanova has also been beneficial, as much of my job is communicating technical concepts to a non-technical audience. A predominantly math-based college experience would have caused me to have some blind spots in this respect.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Embrace the non-mathematical classes and strive to become well-rounded; explore your academic interests, both with math and non-math electives; get involved in extracurricular activities - the networking, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills you gain in these will do wonders for interview skills and professional development. Also don't be afraid to engage with your academic advisor, other members of the math department, or alumni for professional guidance.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Humanities
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I went to law school and became an attorney in financial restructuring and litigation.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
A lot of my cases involve experts in damages, economics, or financial modeling, and I feel well equipped to engage with them because of my background.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience at Villanova was holistic. In Dr. Styer’s classes I learned not only important concepts but clear, logical writing, which helps in my day to day career. I took formal logic, which helped me succeed in law school. And I took traditional classes in calculus and algebra where I improved my critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Go for it! I minored in math and wish I had done the major. You can go into anything with a degree in math.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Economics
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Currently an Assistant Professor of Finance & Real Estate at the Villanova School of Business.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Academic finance relies heavily on math for theoretical proofs and stats for empirical analysis.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
A strong match background is required to complete a PhD in Finance and succeed in academic finance research.
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I attended graduate school at the University of Virginia until I received my Ph.D. in spring 2019. Since then, I’ve been a visiting professor at Wellesley College.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I currently teach in Wellesley’s math department and do research in algebraic geometry and number theory.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Villanova’s department prepared me to take on grad school coursework. Learning from the professors there and seeing their different styles and approaches to teaching also helped me find my own voice in the classroom.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I was a tutor at the MLRC and had tons of fun nights hanging out with my co-workers playing cards after shifts. I also took Dr. Norton’s senior seminar with most of my department friends and had a great time doing research talks in that class.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
If you have anything you’d really want to take a class in but the department doesn’t offer it, the professors are usually willing to do reading course. After the first semester of my junior year, I’d fill out my schedule with one-on-one topics courses in algebra and analysis with professors I’d had before then. There’s a lot of self-motivation involved but it’s a great way to get a course that hits all the beats you want.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Chemistry
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I am a PhD student in chemistry at University of Maryland.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I work in a computational chemistry group which requires an understanding of math.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Mechanical Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Consultant - manufacturing
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Budget management, production forecasts, stat inferences.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Problem solving skills
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Try to apply learnings to real world issues. Stats are very useful and will come up everywhere once you reach a certain level of business.
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Joined the work force
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Use it every day for analysis
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Taught me how to think critically and look at a problem from multiple different angles
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
You are doing yourself a dis-service if you do not get to know the staff!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Theoretical math does not prepare you to be an analyst, applied math does! Explore data analyst positions in your post-college career search. It's a great fit for math majors. Also recommend taking a SQL or SAS coding course as this will give you the skills needed to excel.
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I have been working in sales and inventory planning in the retail industry- currently at the Ann Taylor brand.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I am constantly analyzing sales data and work a lot with numbers in reporting and excel. I combine the qualitative sales information for stores with quantitative feedback from other teams on product to move the business forward in the store channel for Ann Taylor.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Being comfortable with data and formula calculations is integral in my role. Being accurate and being able to pull out meaningful information from a variety of metrics helps me to connect valuable information to other teams that do not work so much with raw data.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I think fondly about working together with my "math major friends" to get through some of those challenging classes!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Math can be used in so many different career channels than you would think- think beyond finance and banking! I worked all 4 years in the math office as a work study student and have many happy memories of the team there!
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I've worked at the UN, received my MA in Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences at Columbia, and work at Columbia Business School in Strategy.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I analyze data and perform statistical analysis regularly for my strategy projects.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I took multiple statistics courses and managed lots of projects at Villanova that help with my current role.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Not only did I love being a math major but I worked in the math dept and treasure my years at Villanova working with Lorraine, Marie, and Dr. Norton.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
First off - you made the best decision by choosing math as your major. When I was an undergrad, I thought I could only be an actuary or math teacher. There are so many careers that having math or statistics as a foundation is invaluable. Take advantage of the Career Center early and talk to alums about what they're doing now. If you haven't already, learn a programming language. Thanks so much for reaching out, always glad to help and be a resource. I can talk to any student about grad school and jobs.
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked at Optum Technology for 7 years, worked at Aperture Health (healthcare technology space) for 2 years
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Recently, I've been using math when developing pricing models for client contracts. Prior to this, I didn't use math much per say, but I used analytical thinking on a day to day business to analyze and solution issues/defects and to create requirements for the product which I work on.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math degree benefited has benefited me immensely in the line of work I'm in (along with the couple of logic/Comp Sci classes I took as part of my degree).
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Dr. Sprows was my favorite! Not sure if he's still there. If so, he may remember me as the girl who fainted twice, during ONE class, in his Topology class in 2010.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
A math major gives you so many more job opportunities than you may realize. When I was in college and would tell people I was majoring in math, they'd say "Oh, so you want to be a math teacher then?" And when I'd say no, they'd say "....so what do you want to do then?" and I'd say I didn't know. Then I got hired by a technology company before even graduating because even though I didn't major in Comp Sci, they knew I was smart and had an analytical mindset. I had never worked with technology before, but now I've been doing it for 9 years and it's been an excellent, successful (thus far) career path.
Date: February, 2021
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I have worked as a property & casualty actuary (fellow in the Casualty Actuarial Society), both in consulting and now with a P&C insurer.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use math daily in pricing insurance for various lines of business.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My math experience at Villanova specifically prepared me for my career as it built the base of knowledge needed to pass the preliminary actuarial exams. I would also add that the well-rounded curriculum at Villanova has also been beneficial, as much of my job is communicating technical concepts to a non-technical audience. A predominantly math-based college experience would have caused me to have some blind spots in this respect.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Embrace the non-mathematical classes and strive to become well-rounded; explore your academic interests, both with math and non-math electives; get involved in extracurricular activities - the networking, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills you gain in these will do wonders for interview skills and professional development. Also don't be afraid to engage with your academic advisor, other members of the math department, or alumni for professional guidance.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Civil Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Construction Management
How does math connect with your current occupation?
It is used often in construction
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I overloaded while at Villanova in order to achieve the Math Minor I received. That drive and push to achieve more was a good lesson learned for the work world.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Statistics was one of my favorite classes while at Villanova. Our teacher did many sports related problems in terms of mathematics. It helped the way I perceive certain problems and allowed me to look at them differently.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Stick with it. Although the complexity and work load of the course may be more than your friends with other majors, the juice is worth the squeeze. Having a sharp mathematical mind is beneficial whatever work field you choose to go into. My ability to solve both simple and complex math problems has always given me a leg up in the construction industry.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Chemical Engineering
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked in pharmaceuticals in manufacturing and engineering
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Data analytics is the most used in my role
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Statistics was the most useful class
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Finance
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
All my jobs after Villanova were related to data analysis, data science and data engineering.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I leverage my mathematics education pretty heavily at my current job at Google.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I did a minor in mathematics. I can clearly see now that majoring in math would be far better for me than majoring in finance. Mathematical education and intuition is something that one can always leverage no matter what career track they are on.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Every single math professor I had was very passionate about what they taught. This has had major impact on me and enabled me to look at mathematics with a more fresh and inspired perspective.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Mathematics is beautiful. Take advantage of the Villanova math department. You can draw strength , inspiration and clarity from such education for the rest of your life. I hope Villanova continues to make investments in the math department as mathematics will continue to be the lingua franca of the modern tech-centric digital economy.
Date: February, 2021
MAJOR: Comprehensive Science
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Started structural steel fabrication company servicing NY, NJ, PA, DE, CT
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Problem solving, analytics, and creating processes to deliver the best outcomes.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Math and engineering are a huge part of what we do here. Every piece of steel fabricated requires me to use my math skills.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Without the mathematical foundations that I built at Villanova, I would be very ill prepared for my current position especially considering the fact that I do not have an engineering degree.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Be aware that a math degree does not limit you to an occupation in mathematics. There are several paths that can be taken within the construction industry alone.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Taught high school math, earned M.S. in Statistics, changed career to work as Data Scientist.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I'm a data scientist working at Travelers Insurance. I build predictive models that require a deep understanding of the underlying mathematics. Lots of statistics and how the different functions change model predictions.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Admittedly, I wasn't the best student while at Villanova, but it really prepared me for the complexities of mathematics and the importance of studying hard. Years later when I got my masters, I used these lessons to help me succeed.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Kind and caring professors. Dr. Pasles will go down as one of the nicest/best professors I ever had.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Study, study, study. Go to office hours. Don't stop working on a problem until you understand it fully. Learn some sort of programming language aside from Matlab.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Went to law school and became an attorney. I have been practicing since 2014.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Instilled a logical thought process I use in analyzing and assessing cases. Also, most lawyers do not have any mathematical understanding whatsoever, so I've become the de facto expert for all things math-related in my office.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Yes - I have a broad understanding of all fields of math and have used it as an asset in case assessment, analysis, and providing legal advice. Additionally, my background in math makes it easy to communicate with the engineers/computer scientists/actuary/economist experts in the various cases in which I work. I am able to distill their expert opinions (which oftentimes can appear complex to the lay person) into easily understandable language which I use for court submissions and conversations with clients.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
See the bigger picture. Math is everywhere and all around you. It is the hidden code in nature and life. It does not just exist on a page or in a computer. As applied to your career, find what you love to do and your math degree will become surprisingly practical, even in fields which do not have an obvious relationship to math.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Math PhD (UNC Chapel Hill), now working for defense contractor—Johns Hopkins APL. Currently pursuing MBA at UNC online.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use some math (optimization, stat, machine learning, data exploration), but the skills you get from math (analytical thinking, e.g.) are more important.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I got a very good baseline math education. For students considering PhD, consider supplementing with the masters at Villanova for better research preparation.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Student faculty softball games on Mendel field were great!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Consider your feelings towards data, statistics, and programming now. DS/ML/AI are fantastic opportunities now and, in the future, but they aren’t for everyone. Many recruiters will assume that all math majors want these careers. I realized relatively recently that I don’t want to be a DS practitioner because it’s a little too empirical and results focused. There are other options that let you use the unique skills you’ve developed as a math major.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I teach! I currently teach mathematics at a private girl’s high school called Villa Joseph Marie. I also taught at Villanova for a few years.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I teach math! I get to live and breathe math every single day.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
My love of math really blossomed when I was first a student at Villanova. Teaching at Villanova really built up my confidence and allowed me to figure out who I was as a teacher.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
The Pi Day celebrations in the math department were always a good time. Tutoring in the MLRC as a grad student gave me an opportunity to connect with my peers.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Take classes in lots of different areas in math. Try new things. You might find that you really connect with a topic that you had no idea about before. Maple is pretty awesome if you’re willing to give it a chance! I don’t think I would’ve been able to teach Calc 3 well without it.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Healthcare analytics and consulting.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Problem solving, analytics, and creating processes to deliver the best outcomes.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Academic wise I would say the courses pushed me to think critically and learn how to solve problems that were complex. Even though I’m not solving calculus problems now, that same approach of thinking through a problem/issue/assignment is something useful in most careers and life in general. Also, relationship wise, my core study group of two other math majors along with reaching out to the professors and taking advantage of office hours was just as key. Relationship building and teamwork for most (if not all) careers is very important. Whether it’s a small study group and/or office hours with the professor, push yourself to develop those relationships as it will benefit you in the long run.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
Great professors and staff from my time there (shout out to Dr. Ashley and Dr. Pasles, great professors who always took the time to help!).
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
My advice is to be open to career paths that you do not typically associate with a math degree. A math degree shows employers that you can think critically and are good at problem solving. Explore different avenues if you are not set on a particular career path.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
I volunteered for a year in Ecuador working with street kids, then returned to the US to start a nonprofit, The Starfish Foundation, that supports education in Ecuador. I volunteer for Starfish alongside my day job - I spent 5 years in volunteer management at Catholic Charities, and now work in communications at a Catholic church and school.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Math taught me a lot of critical thinking and how to be detail-oriented!
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
All those theories and proofs taught me to evaluate the whole process, and to see it through entirely.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I have many wonderful memories of the faculty and staff - Dr. Bob, Dr. Norton, Dr. Sprows, Marie O’Brien, and Lorraine McGraw. Always a welcome face in the math dept!
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Stay in touch with the faculty and staff - they are wonderful!
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Started working right after graduation as a Data Analyst at ETS in Princeton, NJ. Moved to NC in 2015 and got a job at Sonic Automotive as a Data Analyst, moving up to Senior there. Got married in 2018 and had our first baby girl in 2019. Also changed jobs in 2019, now working at Credit Karma as a BI Analyst II.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
I use the computer/coding skills I learned at Villanova to get me where I am. I have strayed from the Statistics application side of things, but it is still useful knowledge to have. I may even use that in the future if I choose to steer my career back to data science rather than BI.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Degrees and being able to intelligently talk about what I learned at Villanova has helped me get every job I have had. I developed my foundation in coding and general applied knowledge at Villanova and have been having to build on that for 10 years now.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I met a couple great friends through the math department. I also remember that math theory was not for me, so steer your class work in the direction of what interests you, for me that was Statistics and applied math.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
This was a great choice! There are SO many doors that being from Villanova will open for you. I thought being a math major meant being a math teacher was the only option at first (and some people do want that career). But there are a million other jobs that want your degree! Gravitate to your interests. You are NOT expected to know everything directly out of school; 80-90% of your working knowledge will come from on-the-job training and skills you develop with practice there. Villanova WILL get you in the door though! For example, with my career path, everyone uses different software and coding language, but if you know one, they are easy to translate and learn others. As a female especially, don’t be afraid to have a career and a family if that’s what YOU want! A woman in STEM is a very desirable candidate in the job market, so know your worth! If you want to have kids one day, make sure you find a company that supports that goal. Do NOT let men dictate your life path for you.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Worked at Lockheed Martin for 8 years as a Systems Engineer, then switched to Grubhub for 3 years as a Decision Scientist, and now a Data Analyst at a tech startup.
How does math connect with your current occupation?
Critical thinking and statistics to analyze trends and negate risk.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
Being able to understand both theoretical and practical math had trained me to look at problems different from my colleagues. Not only understanding the root cause of an issue but being able to identify potential risk based on edge cases and asking, “what if.”
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
No matter what your current career goal is after graduation, take the time and care to learn subjects you might not think you’ll apply. I wasn’t as interested in statistics or code as an undergrad and yet I use both extensively now and wish I had spent more time understanding those subjects, as those are areas, I feel weaker in compared to my colleagues.
Date: November, 2020
What have you done after graduating from Villanova?
Internship/contract with GSK (non-clinical), then statistician at HeartWare - later acquired by Medtronic (medical device company).
How does math connect with your current occupation?
As a statistician, I am working with clinical data on a daily basis to analyze patient data to support regulatory and research needs.
How has your math experience at Villanova prepared you for your current position and life after Villanova?
I use the knowledge I gained at Villanova very frequently, and it gave me a good base upon which to grow and gain experience.
Are there any memories of the Math Department you wish to share with current majors or prospective students?
I had the opportunity during work study to work in the Math office. I got the chance to interact with the professors outside of the class and help with various requests.
Do you have any advice for current math majors?
Work with your advisor on classes and what you want to do. My advisor helped to get me in contact with the person who hired me for the internship at GSK. Go to office hours, for all classes where you want help or make a connection with a teacher. I remember fondly my time at college and wish I could have spent more time doing non-classwork. So take time to go to events, meet people, and enjoy the campus and surrounding area.
Date: November, 2020
