[J. Watt] Mathematics is a language, and so you need to think of it like French or Spanish,
or any one of the foreign languages. It’s the language of science; it’s the language
of symbols.
[L. Sweeney] I think it’s really fun because it kind of backs up all the other sciences.
I like the logic behind it, because it’s just kind natural for me to figure out how
mathematics works. I find it really fascinating.
[K. Liechty] The mathematical world is lots of little miracles coming together, and it’s
an amazing thing I think when you see connections where you didn’t think there was any connections
before.
[E. Yoo] Mathematic is not only just a pure math or counting number. It’s applicable
to any area, and then that’s helped a lot of processive thinking anywhere you go. Like,
whenever you have research, you have a different way of thinking.
[I. Minevich] It’s a really a great feeling when you finally solve a problem. Some problems
you know that they’re hard, so when you figure them out it’s a really great feeling
of euphoria.
[B. Boukai] I think that the area of mathematics is as creative as an area of music, as an
area of art.
[L. Rubchinsky] Math is very broad in its scope and extremely effective with whatever
situation is applied.
[J. Watt] There are three other areas in the math department besides actuarial science.
The next most popular area is mathematics education, and the second largest area will
be applied mathematics, and these are individuals that like math and like to problem solve and
take the tools of mathematic and apply them in the real world somewhere. Then, the last
area we have is pure mathematics, and pure mathematics individuals are thinking about
maybe going to grad school in mathematics or maybe to law school or other areas where
they could apply the theoretical concepts of mathematics to make valid arguments.
[A. Its] We are a comprehensive and very competitive department, which provides first class education
with a very good academic opportunities for academic career in mathematical sciences.
[B. Cross] The department is trying to accommodate and attract people who are interested in solving
problems in the real world, as well as in mathematical journals.
Theoretical math is interesting in and of itself, but it’s always good to have applications.
Actual science is one of the best ways, in my opinion, for someone who likes math but
doesn’t want to be in academia for a career to find a career.
There are a couple of large insurance companies in the area; Conseco, One America, and many
insurance companies in pretty much any large city in the country, so it’s a very portable
career.
[L. Rubchinsky] You will find all these people across the campus in their respective disciplines
who would be able to interact with you and teach you, and who will be willing to do this
just because this interactions encourage and facilitate, and there are means to do it.
[K. Liechty] Our department here is great because we have plenty of, you know, world
class faculty, great people.
[I. Minevich] There are very, very great professors here, very great advisors. The IUPUI Math
faculty is well known for a few faculty who are internationally known.
[T. Niehaus] I just, I really love the math department. The size of it, I think, is perfect.
It’s big enough to where there are plenty of professors and plenty of opportunities
for whatever type of class or whatever area of math you’re looking into, but at the
same time, it’s small enough that I don’t feel like I’m just a number.
I think one of the big things has been the advising staff in the math department. They
have told me a lot of stories about people, you know, how they go from undergraduate to
graduate to faculty members, or just the different places that you can go to. Just hearing those
stories, and hearing some of the professors themselves, their background stories. It’s
really encouraging to hear them say, you know, “I was exactly where you were at one point.”
[B. Boukai] So, what we boast here is a small class sizes, about 40-45 students, great and
fabulous faculty to student ratio. We set expertise and interest that really can only
expand the mind, and I think that that is a part where attentiveness to our student
is really making a difference in my mind.
[J. Watt] Yes, I think math is an exciting sort of thing that you can tailor mathematics
to any discipline that you want. Mathematics is going to help you understand that discipline
that much more.
[L. Rubchinsky] Besides the profession, it’s a very important part of human culture. Math
is like a history, is like a language. Everybody studies his or her own language; everybody
studies history. It’s just an integral part of what makes us human.