Alumni Careers & Testimonials
After reaching out to our Undergraduate Alumni about their careers after college, this is what some of them had to say....
| Keene (Math B.S.): “I recently finished student teaching at my old high school and waiting on word about being hired there; I know I'm guaranteed a job somewhere in the district (Aldine ISD), but I wanna work at Aldine Sr...kinda a trip working alongside your old high school teachers, but I've made some awesome friends there! Who knew I'd be close friends with old teachers one day?” |
| Malik (Math; Minor: Cosc): “Actually Tai, there was an email you sent us about an employer who came to campus last semester, Fairfield Industries. I'm currently working for them! Thanks for giving us the info, it really helps!! :)” |
| Paz (Math; Minor: Mexican American Studies): “I am currently teaching Algebra 1 at Chavez High School here in Houston. I am also in the Alternative Certification Program and taking the required courses at St. Thomas.” |
Bruns (Math B.S.): “I got a summer job off of the UH job boards at Reliant doing retail pricing. Then
when I graduated I used that as my experience to get an analyst position at Direct
[Direct Energy as a Pricing & Structuring Analyst. I am down on the trading floor
and my job is to develop energy cost profiles for clients. It is like being an Actuary
for the energy market. It took me five months to land, but the effort finally paid
off. There are two people on the floor that have MS Applied math from UH from a couple
years ago, and the person I replaced was UH Applied Math (I believe). Lots of economist
degrees in my group as well]. I worked non-stop building great analytic models and
finally got my shot at trading. I did well in real-time trading and was recently promoted
to spec (commodities) trading this February. Haha, my math background was instrumental.
I use statistics and probability models for 12 hours a day. It's hard to turn the
brain off at the end of the day.” (Current position: NE/NY Short Term Trader at Direct
Energy)”.
Current position: Director, US Power | Guiding Strategy in Complex Markets @ Envernus |
Haygood (Math B.A.; Minor: Education): “...Teaching at La Porte High School - 9th and 10th grade math and 12th grade science.”
Current position: Gifted Education Coordinator @Austin ISD |
| Cucco (Math; Minor: Cosc): “I was hired as a Consultant at CampbellWilson in Dallas TX. www.CampbellWilson.com. I'm primarily doing database management, application development, and other projects that involve data manipulation. I am enjoying it. My favorite things are having problems to solve, a license to solve them in a creative manner, and computer programming. This job is just what I was hoping for. I had been applying to some jobs in the DFW area through Monster and CareerBuilder, but I never would have looked for this job since it is in the healthcare industry. A headhunter contacted me after seeing my resume, told me about the company and set up the interview time. For the hiring process, I had three interviews with who would become my manager, and the two people on her team. They asked me a few questions about my past experiences, school, work etc., but they were primarily concerned with my ability to learn new things and adapt to changing environments. I feel that being exposed to so many different concepts through learning Math & Comp Sci has greatly shortened my learning curve, which was one of my big selling points. Another great thing about the company is this: the founding partner, Manie Campbell, is also a UH grad =)” |
| Gallegos (Math B.S. FMO): “I am currently working at San Jacinto College as a research analyst (Senior Research Analyst) in the Institutional Research and Effectiveness office. I obtained this position shortly after graduating from UH in 2010. Majoring in math gave me the analytical, statistical, and programming skills I needed to land this position. I use SAS to program and build statistical reports using studentt data. These reports are used by administration to make informed decisions that impacts student success. Although I despised taking computer science during my undergrad career, I am so grateful that I did. Computer programming and the analytical skills I obtained at UH, helped me learn the SAS programming language I use at work everyday. As a math major I initially thought I was going to end up teaching high school math, but I learned that with a math background you can go into any field, math is everywhere! For me, it's in higher education" |
| Mosely (Math B.S.; Minor: Education): “I’m teaching AP Statistics (High School) in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.” |
N. Tran (Math B.A.; Minor: Business HR Management): "...I originally got into the energy industry in '09 where the recession was at
it's lowest and no one was hiring. So I decided to take a job as a receptionist for
a small energy consulting company to work my way up. The owner of the company said
because I have a math degree, she choose me over all the other candidates; knowing
that math will help me think and solve problems in a more pragmatic and logical way,
especially in this industry (even as a receptionist, they wanted something who could
think for themselves). Same with my current position (Senior Account Manager at Atlas
Commodities, LLC); my superiors, each, have discussed how they like the fact that
I studied mathematics in college, they are confident in my analytically thinking abilities.
I use math everyday at work. Some of my responsibilities require outside of the box
thinking yet still being able to systemically organize new procedures. Another responsibility
is to organize large amounts of data and make sense of it; using excel and reading
graphs and charts. I'm picking up a lot of computer skills: logic thinking, writing/creating
formulas, how programs work; and applying it to my responsibilities...".
Current position: Consultant @North Hudson Resource Partners LP |
| Logan (Math): “I am working in Sugar Land at Fairfield Industries as a geophysical analyst. I found the company through the Texas Career Fair because they hire primarily math & physics majors. The geophysical industry is usually unknown to undergrads but is a great option since it is math, physics and computer science related.” |
A. Sameei (Math B.S. & M.A.; Finance M.S.): “My degree in Math is the driving factor that lead to my ability to become a trader
(Trader at EP ENERGY). More often than not companies need quantitative thinkers…especially
in analytical role (i.e.risk quant analysts, traders, marketing, etc...). The biggest
hurdle for math graduates is learning the fundamentals of the underlying business
in order to properly apply meaningful analysis. Once you've reached a point where
you are comfortable with."
Current position: Chief Financial Officer @Polaris Operating |
| Bui (Math): “Hi, I got a job at an engineering firm as a Control Systems engineer in the oil and gas industry.” |
L. Ha (Math; MBA): “I graduated with a Math degree in December 2007 and got hired as a math teacher
at Scarborough High School in January 2008. I taught math for 2.5 years, but decided
to pursue a new career in 2010 because teaching did not work out for me. The economy
in 2010 was really bad; therefore, it was really hard for me to find another job.
As a result, I went back to school to do Master of Business Administration Specializing
in Accountancy. I am graduating this April and am currently seeking an Accounting
Position. I was able to do well in Accounting because of my math background. I still
love numbers and math.”
Current position: Accountant @McKesson |
| Taylor (Math B.S. FMO): “I am currently an accountant at a commercial lender.Having a math degree helped me to secure a position within sales. I was able to evaluate small business financials and help the business owners secure financing for equipment. My degree helped me to quickly move positions into the accounting department where I learn how the finance industry works, and all of the different financial aspects of the company. I enjoy working in the finance industry and growing money through monetary investments. All of my math background has helped me grow quickly (6 months) within the company.” |
| Mela (Math; Minor: Education): “Teaching math at Lamar High school.” |
Medina (Math B.A.; Minor: Asian American Studies): “I’m a Geophysical Seismic Pre-Processor at a Seismic Ventures Inc. in Stafford.
I do data input and preliminary analysis on seismic data. Basically I...map the layers
of earth to find places to drill and sell the processed data. For more information,
go to: www.seismicventures.com. Having the math background, with a little computer
science, helps you on this field because of the major's emphasis on the broad and
fundamental. If you are not capable of looking at the big picture, it will always
be harder to find the proper solution.”
Previous position: Seismic Processing Geophysicist & QC Specialist @Seismic Ventures LLC |
R. Vo (Math B.S.; Minor: Cosc): “I got my bachelor's in mathematics and computer science, with magna cum laude,
in Spring 2016. I am now gainfully employed as a Software Engineer at Capital One
in Plano, TX.”
Current position: Software Development Engineer II @Amazon |
| C. Chavez (MathBio): "I have had the best experience as a math major at UH. One of the greatest things about it has been the faculty since they have all been incredibly supportive and approachable. Thanks to this amazing department I regained my passion for math! My favorite class has been MATH 4362: Theory of Differential Equations and Nonlinear Dynamics with Dr. Jaramillo. My favorite Non-Math related class has been BIOL 3306: Evolutionary Biology with Dr. Zufall & Dr. Frankino. I plan on pursuing a PhD in Evolutionary Biology. I hope to combine mathematical modeling and experimental approaches in order to understand adaptation and how populations evolve." |
| J. Falou (Math): "I have only been a math major for a little over a year, but compared to my previous major, computer science, I already enjoy it much more. I prefer thinking about abstract ideas more than learning about concrete objects (my favorite computer science classes were data structures and algorithms), and the math program allows me to spend most of my time doing just that. The best thing about the program here is the diverse backgrounds and teaching styles of the professors; every professor is a new and enjoyable learning experience. Thus far my favorite classes have been Programming and Data Structures, Algorithms and Data Structures, General Chemistry I & II, Intermediate Analysis, and Probability. I will enroll in a PhD program in mathematics after graduation. After my PhD, I want to work as an industrial mathematician for a while before retiring from that to a university teaching position." |
| E. Hong (Math - Data Science): "I didn’t come to university knowing what to major in but choosing to major in math is something I don’t regret. I’ve had an affinity for math ever since I was a child, and while I don’t think I’m the most passionate person, I still find math to be a beautiful subject to study. In a world of uncertainty, there is a certain comfort in having to abide by the strict rules that govern the world of math. During my time here, I’ve had the honor of being taught by amazing professors who genuinely care about their students. Their passion is what inspires me to be curious when learning. I’ve also met fellow math majors who have been very kind. So, while math is great, the people are greater. While I don’t have a favorite math class, I am fond of the calculus courses. As for non-math courses, I’ve definitely enjoyed the introduction courses of philosophy and Buddhism. These two courses have influenced my world view and provide topics of contemplation even to this day. After graduating, I plan to take a break before diving into the job market. Ideally, I’ll get a job as a data analyst in the field of healthcare. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll return to higher education to get a master’s degree." |
| S. Prasala (Math): "My experience has been incredibly supportive and challenging in a good way. UH's math community is welcoming, professors are sweet and helpful, and there are lots of chances to do real math like research opportunities, clubs, study groups, etc. I especially appreciate how the department encourages undergraduates to try and research and present their work. For my math related classes I loved abstract algebra, linear algebra, and differential equations. For my non-math related classes I loved Physical Geology and Philosophy. I plan to pursue graduate studies in Mathematics specifically Statistics and Data Science. I hope to continue doing research and contributing to the math community." |
| J. I. Sanchez (Math): "I’ve had an amazing experience at UH. There are many talented math professors and students here. They have motivated me to work harder at my studies and provide a benchmark for my progress in learning and understanding mathematics. I’ve also enjoyed the diversity on campus and the organizations that I’ve been able to interact with like Students for Justice in Palestine, The Society of Physics Students, and Pi Mu Epsilon. The Real Analysis senior sequence with Dr. Nicol was a wild ride. I was doing my best to keep up while not really knowing where we were headed until it all came together in the second semester as we did a deep dive into functional analysis. I also enjoyed Differential Geometry since it tickled parts of my brain that don’t get regular exercise. I have a good time whenever prime numbers are involved, so Abstract Algebra was a blast too. At 33 years old, I’m somehow still on track to be the first person in my family to graduate from college. I would love to raise the bar and continue on to graduate school. I’ve dreamed of getting a PhD in math for about a decade now, and I’m finally knocking on the door of that achievement." |
| C. White (Math): "My experience as a math major/the best things about it: My favorite part about mathematics at UH is the undergraduate community. Attending Pi Mu Epsilon and Cougar Mathletics meetings really helped me come out of my shell as an underclassman, and I am happy to give back to that community through my role as president of Pi Mu Epsilon now. I can confidently say that I feel at home in the mathematics department. Another highlight of my experience in mathematics at UH was being awarded the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship to conduct a mathematical biology research project. I learned so much about the mathematics research process from such talented people, and we hope to have a publication out soon. In mathematics: linear algebra, transitions to advanced mathematics, and complex analysis. Outside of mathematics: Evolutionary biology and biology of social behavior. I am very interested in the intersection between mathematics and other fields (particularly biology), so I am aiming for a role as a data analyst after graduation..." |
If you're an Undergraduate Math Alumni, or current Math student and would like to be featured here, please contact me at: ttmcalis@central.uh.edu