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Mathematics Alumni

Explore stories of Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡mathematics alumni who have turned their mathematical skills and education into successful careers in a variety of fields.

Read what our students say about studying mathematics at Kent State.

 

From Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡to KeyBank

When Cameren Hicks graduated from Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡ in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics and a minor in finance, he knew he wanted to build a career rooted in numbers, problem-solving and analysis. Today, Hicks is a fraud modeling and analytics lead…

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Turning Numbers Into Opportunities

For Ashley Motley, what began as a childhood love of solving math problems — the "weird kid who enjoyed doing math homework," as she puts it — has grown into a career at , a Cleveland-based health insurance company, thanks to scholarships, supportive faculty, and hands-on preparation at Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡.

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David Liszewski’s Path from Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡to a Career in AI

For David Liszewski, choosing a college major wasn’t about chasing a dream job. It was about chasing good problems.

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Solving for Success

For Kent, Ohio native and 2018 Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡ graduate Stan Zalewski, mathematics has always been a big part of his life.

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Sarah Cook

Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡Alumna Turns Math into a Meaningful Career

Sarah Cook’s early interest in math turned into a major and eventually a career as a senior actuary at Pacific Life, a leading insurance company.

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From Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡to Capital One: How A Math Degree Opened Doors for Alexander Margetis

When Alexander Margetis took his first trigonometry class as a high school student in Stow, Ohio, he discovered that math came naturally to him.

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Student Testimonials

Undergraduate Student Testimonials
  • The best outcome I have from my time as a math major at KSU was the relationships I have built with faculty. They pushed me to want to learn and do more. I hope to talk to some professors a long time after graduation. 

  • Great professors! 

  • I initially started off as a physics major, which was where my love for mathematics came into place. Switching to Applied Mathematics was the greatest choice I made!

  • I liked the challenging material in my stochastic models class. 

  • Great faculty. Genuinely felt that all of my professors were world-class. 

  • I appreciated the opportunity to meet professors that have similar interests as you and getting to receive advice from them.

  • The math program professors are very knowledgeable in their courses and provide useful 1-on-1 help when needed. Office hours are always available and helpful any time I attended. Courses were interesting and related well to more advanced courses as time progressed. 

  • I went from Journalism to Math halfway through sophomore year, and it was the best decision I could've made.

  • Many of the professors here are amazing and truly want their students to succeed! I am glad I was able to take classes from so many of them. 

  • I like that the classes are always a small size, 5-30 students. It helps me get to know the professor and other math majors 

Graduate Student Testimonials

 

  • Working with outstanding faculty made all the difference. The program demanded a lot, and they were consistently supportive. They raised the bar while helping me reach it.

  • The most valuable part of my experience has been the opportunity to conduct independent research under faculty guidance. Working on advanced topics such as epidemic modeling and explainable AI has given me skills that bridge theory with practical, real-world impact.

  • The Applied Math program at Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡offered the perfect balance of theoretical rigor and practical application. I was also drawn to the opportunity to work closely with faculty who were actively engaged in meaningful research.

  • The most valuable part was the depth of training in mathematical modeling and problem-solving. The faculty's mentorship and the small class sizes enabled a collaborative and immersive learning environment. The program helped me build a foundation of both theory and applied skills that I would later rely on throughout my research and engineering career.

  • My experience in the program directly led to my first position as a research engineer at NASA. I spent 17 years there working on applied research and project management, and my foundation in applied mathematics was crucial for tackling complex engineering challenges. I now work as a Senior AI/ML Specialist at Eaton Corporation, where I continue to use the analytical skills I developed during my graduate studies.

  • The department provided me with a lot of opportunities by supporting the funding for conferences, summer school and other activities. It helped me to collaborate with many mathematicians in the field. They also sent us a lot of available job positions.

  • Looking back, my time in the program was foundational not just for my career but for how I approach complex problems. I’m grateful for the training and mentorship I received, especially from my advisor and proud to see how the program continues to evolve.

  • It is worth it. The courses will challenge you but the professors are extremely helpful and it is also great working with fellow educators. 

  • This is a wonderful program. There are a variety of courses to choose from, and my experience has been that they are all insightful.

  • Graduate school at KSU gives you the extra and necessary "equipment" to succeed either in academia or in any other work environment. Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡ is a great place to start and complete your graduate education exactly because it gives you that equipment and on top of that you receive a lot of support and very useful advice from the faculty.

  • I appreciated the knowledgeable, helpful, friendly faculty and the relatively small size of the department and classes.

  • The program helped me to understand and enrich my knowledge in pure math. And the faculty were very supportive with my applications for my PhD studies. So now I am currently pursuing my PhD degree.

  • The program has definitely helped me become a math faculty! I held a postdoc position at University of Alberta right after graduation, and eventually landed at my current position of Assistant Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada.

  • Measure Theory Seminar and Informal Analysis Seminar at Âé¶¹¾«Ñ¡, always brought speakers from around the world, and it was really impactful to see how people do and teach math.

  • One of the most memorable moments for me was having the opportunity to present my work at an international conference in Spain; it was the first time I had ever left the US, and to have been able to do that was life changing for me. This is all thanks to the quality of the faculty at KSU.