Samford math alumna Caroline Carlisle '18 returned to campus for an October Math Connection event hosted by the Math and Computer Science Department to connect students with accomplished department alumni. Carlisle, an internal auditor at Regions Bank, discussed the career-building value of the critical thinking and problem solving skills she developed at Samford, and offered advice for students as they position themselves for success after Samford.
“As a student, I loved my math classes but I wasn’t sure how I would use my degree after graduating,” Carlisle said. “People would often tell me that there were many career options for math majors, but I didn’t know enough about different industries to know what those options were.” Carlisle said her professors opened the door to opportunities, and she wanted to do the same by supporting the current generation of students. “The math faculty helped connect me with alumni in the area who worked in various roles, and that opened my eyes to some of the ways people use their math degree,” she said. “The Math and Computer Science Department truly prepared me for my job after college, so it was a joy to be back with them at the Math Connection event.”
Professor Kwadwo Antwi-Fordjour, also spoke at the event, describing his grant-funded research in competition theory and inviting students to take part in research projects with him to develop the strong computational ability required by graduate programs and industry. “There are several conjectures made in our work, and some of them are worth exploring to its fullest with undergraduate students,” he said. “Students will be introduced to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of mathematics and biological science.”
“Our Connection events help us achieve several important departmental goals–showcasing faculty and undergraduate research, engaging alumni in the life of the department, informing current and prospective students about career opportunities for majors, and helping current students build professional networks," said department chair Chad Awtrey. Awtrey invited alumni to contact him if they would like to participate in future events.
