Join us for Annual Graduate Alumni Day, where three UK Mathematics alumni from the University of South Florida, Georgia Tech, and Microsoft return to share the career paths and insights from life in and beyond academia. Come ready to listen, ask and leave with a clearer picture of what's possible.

Schedule:

• 2:00 PM — Mathematicians in the Age of Technology | Tefjol Pllaha, University of South Florida
• 3:00 PM — An Academic Professional Does What? | Hunter Lehmann, Georgia Institute of Technology
• 4:30 PM — Life After the Ph.D.: Research Beyond Academia | Vasily Zadorozhnyy, Microsoft

Title: A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF MATHEMATICAL PUBLISHING

Zoom Link: https://uky.zoom.us/j/89417600368?pwd=SERCZW05eWJxdkI1aHRteGpQTXpIZz09 (pwd: 721322)

Abstract: Do you want to make people more confused than when you tell them you study mathematics? Try telling them that you work as a copy editor for mathematical journals. While I envisioned myself having a career in academia, I quickly found myself in a position that wasn’t the right fit for me, and, as luck would have it, ended up discovering a rewarding career as an editor for mathematical journals. It’s the perfect blend of my skills: familiarity with advanced mathematics and attention to detail. In this talk, I’ll describe a bit of how the editing and publishing process works at MSP, talk more generally about the world of non-profit mathematical publishing, and highlight ways that you can become involved with the process, no matter what career in mathematics you choose to pursue.

Title: A COMPARISON OF THE UK AND THE US ACADEMIC JOB MARKETS FOR MATHEMATICIANS

Zoom Link: https://uky.zoom.us/j/82869293864?pwd=cVFHdWxlTm5YenE0ME5jUEZvdE1odz09 (pwd: 882569)

Abstract: I did my first postdoc in Spain and got my permanent job in the UK. Although there are some similarities, I found the academic job market and application processes in Spain and in the UK significantly different than the US job market. In this talk, I briefly go through my academic career and talk about my experiences in Spain and in the UK. I will also give some practical information for postdoctoral and permanent job applications in Europe and in the UK.

Title: A TRANSFORMATION: THE JOB YOU FIND, THE CAREER YOU IMAGINED

Zoom Link: https://uky.zoom.us/j/85713254019?pwd=NFUycm4rZ2dzMFdGOXFUdm9WNFdqdz09 (pwd: 358383)

Abstract: More than likely, the first job you land will not be exactly the one you imagined for yourself; at least it wasn’t for me. As I concluded my time at UK, I had a tenure track offer from a regional public university while still in the running for a teaching postdoc at a liberal arts college. I had always imagined myself at a small liberal arts college similar to where I attended undergrad but the uncertainty of whether I would be offered the postdoc and even if so, how a subsequent job search would unfold, led me to accept the tenure track position at a type of school I had never considered. In this talk, I will share with you some of the choices I made once at Bloomsburg University to transform my first faculty job, one originally full of uncertainty, into a rewarding career and permanent decision.