Math at Work Career Conference
Workshops and Speakers
ACTUARIAL SCIENCE
Speaker: Kyle Falconbury
Employer: Travelers
Kyle Falconbury earned a BA degree in mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Wabash College. He recently completed his MBA with a concentration in finance at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He joined Travelers in 2000 and has served in its Medical Malpractice, Construction Technology and Commercial Accounts business units. His areas of expertise include large account pricing and reserving. He has been a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society since 2001. He is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Presentation: Property and Casualty actuarial work typically falls into two large categories: (1) estimating how much customers should be charged for their insurance products; and (2) forecasting how much money needs to be set aside to pay for claims arising from these insurance contracts. The speaker will give and overview of the actuarial profession and talk about why he enjoys his profession. Examples of the types of mathematical problems that actuaries solve will be given. The speaker will also discuss the coursework which would be helpful to prepare for an actuarial career.
BANKING
Speaker: Debra A. DeVenne-Zarba
Employer: Citizens Bank of Massachusetts
Debra De Venne-Zarba is a graduate of the New England Banking Institute and Bentley College. She is a senior vice president, team leader in the Regional Banking Division at Citizens Bank of Massachusetts. She manages the Boston/North commercial lending teams that provide small business loans to companies with revenues under $25 million. She has more than 25 years experience in the banking industry. She is on the Program Committee for the Center for Women and Enterprise of Boston, member of a WBENC certification committee and involved with Northeastern University’s Center for Family Business. She is currently on the board for the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.
Presentation: Are you interested in working in banking, but maybe not in the traditional lending, teller, accounting or financial roles? Would you like to know how math is used when determining how much money can be given back to the communities and non-profits in which your company serves? Do you have a creative side? Then maybe marketing/advertising may be of interest. So, how does math apply here?
BIOMATHEMATICAL MODELING
Speaker: Melissa A. St. Hilaire
Employer: Brigham & Women’s Hospital; Harvard Medical School
Melissa St. Hilaire received her BS in mathematical sciences from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and MS in bioinformatics from Northeastern University. She is currently working on a PhD in applied mathematics at WPI. She works as a biomathematical programmer analyst in the Analysis & Modeling Unit within the Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. In this position, she: (1) develops and refines physiologically-based mathematical models of human circadian rhythms, sleep, performance and alertness; (2) creates software applications to simulate these models; and (3) creates new analytic techniques to analyze experimental data.
Presentation: The speaker will introduce attendees to the opportunities for mathematicians and statisticians in the life sciences, using the area of sleep and circadian rhythms research to illustrate the important role of mathematical modeling and simulation in the understanding of complex biological systems. Her presentation will include suggestions and advice for students who want to pursue a mathematics career in the life sciences.
BIOSTATISTICS
Presenter: Scott Evans, PhD
Employer: Harvard School of Public Health
Scott Evans received his MS in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire and his PhD in biostatistics from the University of Massachusetts. He is a Senior Research Scientist and a member of the faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health. In this position, he designs, monitors, analyzes and reports the results of clinical trials conducted to identify and develop treatments for diseases such as HIV, cancer, neuropathy, PML, diabetes and toxoplasmosis. He also participates in external professional activities including being an advisor for the FDA, NIH, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.
Presentation: Evans will discuss opportunities for statisticians and biostatisticians and the contributions they make in the design, monitoring, analyses and reporting of clinical trials using examples of projects he has worked on. He will discuss some of the many interesting projects that statisticians can work on and the types of jobs available to them.
COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE
Speaker: Pat Quillen, PhD
Employer: The MathWorks
Pat Quillen received his BS from the University of Arkansas and his MS and PhD from the University of Kentucky, all in mathematics. His areas of specialization are numerical analysis and scientific computing. He is a numerical analyst at The MathWorks where he helps develop and maintain the mathematical software libraries which sit at the center of MATLAB.
Presentation: The speaker will discuss his role as a computational scientist at The MathWorks and the kind of skills and experiences that will be valuable to students who wish to follow this kind of career path. Examples illustrating the importance of numerical analysis and high quality software will be given. Examples showing the value of software tools such as MATLAB will also be given.
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Speaker: Bradford Bond, PhD
Employer: VX Corporation
Bradford Bond received his BA in physics from Harvard University and his MS and PhD degrees in applied mathematics from Cornell University. He is the lead software engineer at VX Corporation where he designs and develops applications for computer-aided design (CAD) software. He provides software tools for mechanical engineers to create and modify representations of three-dimensional solids. These “solid models” can then be used to generate 2D layouts or drawings to do stress-strain or fluid flow analysis or to generate instructions for lathes or other machines to perform the manufacturing.
Presentation: The speaker will give an introduction to what it’s like to be a mathematician in industry. He will discuss mathematical topics used by his company such as: numerical analysis; 2D and 3D spline curves; surface splines; and topology. He will give a demonstration of his company’s CAD software.
CORPORATE CONTRACT ANALYSIS
Speaker: Lori Marino
Employer: Pratt & Whitney
Lori Marino received her BA in mathematical sciences from Western New England College. She is an analyst at Pratt & Whitney in support of a $300 million contract with the US Air Force.
Presentation: Have you ever wondered what it takes to fly a jet for the United States Air Force? First, you need the aircraft, then, a pilot and, finally, you need an engine to make that airplane fly. Now which of these would involve someone with a math degree? The engine! Most people think maintaining a jet engine strictly relies on the mechanics who work on it — but that’s not true. There’s a lot of work done behind the scenes to get the mechanics the parts they need to repair the engine. That’s where the math comes in. As a spare parts analyst, I ensure that the USAF has the parts it needs, when it needs them, so its airplanes are always ready to fly. How this is done is something you will have to come to my talk to find out!
DATA ENCRYPTION
Speaker: Mike Szydlo, PhD
Employer: Akamai
Mike Szydlo received his BA in mathematics from Boston University and a PhD from Harvard University, also in mathematics. His areas of specialization are number theory, quantitative finance, computer security and computer system architecture. At Akamai, he is a senior software developer in a global content distribution network (CDN).
Presentation: Cryptology is the branch of mathematics and computer science concerned with message secrecy, authentication and integrity. Very practical aspects of number theory and information theory are applied to produce concrete algorithms for applications such as encryption and digital signatures, both of which are present in every web surfer’s browser. Computer security, however, is a much wider field, including such concerns as authentication, access control, threat modeling, virus protection and physical data security.
DATA MINING
Speakers: Michele Masnaghetti and Jon Casciari
Employer: Epsilon Data Management
Michele Masnaghetti received his MA in sociology from the University of Milano-Bicocca and his MS in marketing analytics from the McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley College. His areas of specialization are marketing analytics and data mining. Currently, he is the senior statistician at Epsilon Data management where he works as part of a team to deliver analytic solutions to clients in various industries.
Jon Casciari has a BA in international politics from the Pennsylvania State University, an MS in finance and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in business data analysis from the McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley College. He is a Senior Director in the Analytic Consulting Group of Epsilon Data Management with over eight years experience in marketing analytics. His responsibilities include design and management of marketing analytics projects focused on measuring marketing efficiency, predictive modeling, segmentation and campaign test design. He currently specializes in the financial services and retail industries. Prior to joining Epsilon, he served as the Manager of Customer Analytics for Bose Corporation.
Presentation: This presentation will explain how data mining techniques are used to help clients better understand their customers (or prospects) and therefore improve the way in which the clients communicate with their customer base. Both data mining and marketing will be central to the presentation.
ECONOMETRICS
Speaker: Brad Greenleaf
Employer: Putnam Investments
Brad Greenleaf received his BA in mathematics and German from Bowdoin College. He has an MS from MIT’s Sloan School in finance and economics. As Managing Director of Global Equities for Putnam Investments, he directs and applies quantitative investment research and techniques to Putnam’s global/international investment processes.
Presentation: The speaker will give a general background on how statistics and econometrics can be applied to the field of investment management. Specific examples will be laid out and analyzed with numerical results provided in order to make the topics more concrete. The examples will involve quantitative techniques for stock-picking, as well as methods for controlling risk in stock portfolios.
ENGINEERING
Speaker: Kathleen M. Geezil
Employer: Raytheon Technical Service Company, LLC
Kathleen Geezil holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mathematics from Boston College. Currently, she is a software engineer in the Logistics Systems Data Management Department of the Integrated Support Solutions Business unit of Raytheon. This unit supports systems and products from design to deployment. She provides software development for the Patriot Information Management System and engineering services in support of logistics and reliability engineering for mission assurance of the Patriot Missile System.
Presentation: The speaker will explain how her theoretical mathematics education and work opportunities at various companies allowed her to gain broader engineering experience and provided her the opportunity to utilize mathematics on various projects. Work examples will span: data reduction and analysis; modeling; acoustics; signal data processing; filter design; tracking; systems engineering; real time systems; test and evaluation; software tuning; trend analysis; and risk analysis. Some of the mathematics applied includes: calculus; numerical analysis; regression analysis; complex analysis; Fourier series; probability and statistics.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Speaker: Denise Tripp
Employer: GeoTrans, Inc.
Denise Tripp received her BS in civil engineering from Virginia Tech and MS also in civil engineering from MIT. Her area of specialization is hydrogeology. Her position as an environmental consultant includes environmental data analysis, groundwater modeling, technical report writing and litigation support.
Presentation: This presentation will provide an introduction to contaminated groundwater issues through case studies. Studies will include examples of problem solving using mathematical solutions.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Speaker: Sonja Sandberg, PhD
Employer: Framingham State College
Sonja Sandberg received her BS in mathematics from MIT and her PhD in mathematical sciences from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is a Professor of Mathematics at Framingham (MA) State College where she serves as Chairperson of the Mathematics Department. She also conducts research in the field of biomathematics and serves as a consultant for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where she works on projects related to vaccines and also on the safety and reliability of blood transfusions.
Presentation: The speaker will describe some of the public health projects she has worked on and indicate the types of mathematics that were useful for these projects. One example that will be discussed is the HIV vaccine and the conditions under which a less than completely efficacious vaccine could make the AIDS epidemic worse. Another example is a situation that arose concerning safety of blood transfusions in the U.S. when the first cow with mad cow disease in North America was found in Canada.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Speaker: James C. Welch
Employer: Bank of America; Bentley College
James Welch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance/investments from Babson College and a Master’s degree in finance from Suffolk University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Currently, he works as a Regional Investment Consultant at Bank of America where he develops asset allocation plans for high-net-worth clients and selects suitable solutions for each asset class.
Presentation: This presentation will address careers in financial planning. It will focus on the financial planning process, which includes a review of a client’s needs and goals. The session will focus on an important aspect of the financial plan, the selection of asset classes and investments. However, the seminar will also cover other essential parts of the process including retirement planning, estate planning, insurance and tax planning.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Speaker: Thomas Kowalczyk
Employer: KMRM, LLC
Thomas Kowalczyk has his BSEE degree from MIT, his MSEE from Johns Hopkins University and his MS in management from MIT’s Sloan School. He is the founder of KMRM, LLC, where he works on the deployment of university-based research to the first/early responder community.
Presentation: This presentation will cover an overview of the mathematics of homeland security with an emphasis on real world applications.
MARKETING
Speaker: Sam Woolford, PhD
Employer: Bentley College
Sam Woolford received his ScB degree in applied mathematics from Brown University, his MS also in applied mathematics from Purdue University and his PhD in stochastic processes also from Purdue. He has spent over twenty years using a broad range of quantitative methods to help clients solve complex business problems, improve performance and enhance competitive position. He has consulted to a broad range of organizations in healthcare, financial services, high-tech, manufacturing and government on the applications of statistics and operations research to decision support, strategic planning, market research, customer economics, operations analysis, performance metrics, quality management, activity costing, litigation support, quantitative models and simulation. He is currently a Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Bentley College where he teaches statistics, primarily in the graduate school. He also consults on quantitative issues and market research and is an Affiliate Scholar at Abt Associates Inc.
Presentation: Dr. Woolford will lead a discussion on the role that statistical methods play in market research and how these methodologies can be used to research and develop new products
and services.
MATHEMATICAL MODELING
(Stocks and Bonds)
Speaker: Peter Ciampi
Employer: Interactive Data
Peter Ciampi received his BS in physics and his MA in mathematics from Boston College. He works as a market analyst at Interactive Data, where he applies statistical techniques to stock and bond histories. He invented a system to assist mutual funds in determining the fair value of foreign stocks. Currently, he is working on a system to measure stock volatility based on high frequency trading.
Presentation: The presenter will discuss the history and basic concepts of a fair value information service that is used by 60 to 70 percent of U.S. mutual fund families.
MATHEMATICAL VIDEO DEVELOPMENT
Speaker: Peter J. Ciccarelli
Employer: Bentley College
Peter Ciccarelli received his BA in mathematics from Bates College and his MA, also in mathematics, from Tufts University. He is currently a lecturer in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Bentley College. He is also a freelance consultant to several mathematics textbook publishers and video production companies.
Presentation: As anyone who has bought a math textbook knows, the textbook publishing field is a lucrative business. There is a variety of jobs and positions to be filled, both part-time and full-time, from home or on-site, for people who know math, can teach it, edit texts and ancillaries, and/or create and edit videos, using such tools as Flash. Having worked in many of these positions for the last eight years, the speaker will inform participants about what’s available and the skills needed for each type of position. He will also show short clips of some math videos.
PEACE CORPS
Speaker: George Ross
Employer: John Hancock
George Ross received his BA degree in mathematics from Bentley College. He is pursuing a master’s degree in physics. He is currently employed as a senior consultant at John Hancock.
Presentation: The speaker will discuss his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching mathematics and aiding in curriculum development in Botswana, in south-central Africa. He will also touch upon his current work, modeling and monitoring profitability at John Hancock and on his experiences as a part-time graduate student.
PUBLIC POLICY
(Environment)
Speaker: Charles Hadlock, PhD
Employer: Bentley College
Charles Hadlock received a BS from Providence College and a PhD from the University of Illinois, both degrees in mathematics. Currently, he is the Trustee Professor of Technology, Policy and Decision Making at Bentley College where he does interdisciplinary teaching and research at the interface of science, technology and public policy. Formerly, he was the leader of a worldwide environmental consulting practice with the firm of Arthur D. Little. He is the author of several books including Mathematical Modeling in the Environment published by the MAA.
Presentation: This talk will discuss the major role of mathematical modeling in the development of important public policies and governmental actions.
QUANTITATIVE FINANCE
(Hedge Funds)
Speaker: George Steblovsky
Employer: RCG Ardis Capital, LLC
George Steblovsky received his MSEE degree from Kiev Polytechnic Institute. For a few years, he worked as a staff scientist in the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Later, he became interested in finance and started with a young company, Timber Hill, developing the company’s proprietary trading system. Then he worked for Goldman Sachs developing and implementing credit risk models. At RCG Ardis Capital, he works as a research analyst with portfolio managers on projects focused on enhancing existing and developing new trading strategies. When not working, he enjoys reading (Harry Potter, for example), playing tennis and skiing.
Presentation: There is a saying: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” It is common knowledge; yet it is very important. Applied to investment, the saying means: manage your risk; diversify your portfolio. We will discuss mathematical methods of portfolio optimization and risk management that are used in hedge funds to achieve these goals.
STATISTICAL CONSULTING
Speaker: Dominique Haughton, PhD
Employer: Bentley College
Dominique Haughton did her undergraduate work and some of her graduate work in France where she attended Ecole Normale Superiere and Paris VII and Paris VI Universities. She received her PhD from MIT. Her area of specialization is data analysis. She is currently a Professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Bentley College where she teaches, does research, provides research leadership, and does curriculum development particularly at the graduate level. She also is very active in outside consulting projects, including work in Vietnam and France.
Presentation: The speaker will talk about consulting experiences and opportunities in the area of international statistics. She will talk about a particular consulting job which involved testifying in court and how statistics was used in that case.
TEACHING
Speaker: William W. Kendall, EdD
Employer: Braintree (MA) Public Schools; Boston College
William Kendall received his BA in mathematics from Boston College, his MA in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts–Boston, his MS in computer science from Boston University and his EdD from Harvard University. As Director of Mathematics and Technology for the Braintree Public Schools, he oversees K-12 mathematics in the system. As Director of Technology, he oversees and coordinates all uses of technology in the school system. He is also a Supervisor of Student Teachers and an adjunct faculty member at Boston College.
Presentation: The presentation will cover the need for math teachers and the rewards of teaching math. It will briefly explain the licensure process and the multiple opportunities available, for both long and short-term employment. Finally, it will conclude with explaining career ladders and opportunities for long-term career growth.
TECHNOLOGY
Speaker: Mitchell Burek, PhD
Employer: Fidelity Investments
Mitchell Burek received his BA in mathematics and MEd and PhD degrees in research, measurement and evaluation, all from Boston College. As Director of Program Management and Records Retention for Fidelity Investments, he is responsible for delivering program management services across Fidelity resulting in a “One Fidelity” view to external customers, regulatory agencies and corporate entities resulting in better controls, more secure customer information and consistent standards.
Presentation: The focus of this presentation will be on the application of mathematics in situations where the skills, logic and discipline of mathematicians and statisticians are critical components to careers and professional success. Mathematics crosses multiple professional boundaries and has broad applicability in professional areas such as education, health, finance, technology, law and compliance. Today’s information technology and process complexity require increased analysis, interpretation and action based on modeling, performance and fundamental understanding of parameters causing events.
TRANSPORTATION
Speaker: Karl Quackenbush
Employer: Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS)
Karl Quackenbush has a BA in geography from State University of New York and Master’s in City and Regional Planning (MCRP) from Harvard University. He directs his organization’s technical work in the areas of travel modeling, traffic operations analysis, transit service planning and GIS. He is responsible for the integrity and quality of his company’s technical planning methods and analysis results. These results, frequently in the form of travel forecasts, inform planning and policy decisions made by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Presentation: The speaker will discuss the role of mathematics in building and applying models of urban travel supply and demand and will discuss how model results are used in the urban planning process. He will provide examples of the use of statistical and other mathematical methods in model building and examples of how results are manipulated and displayed. A real-world example of a Boston area transportation project will be used as the context for the discussion.
UNDERWRITING
(Insurance)
Speaker: Laura Essember
Employer: Travelers
Laura Essember has a BS in finance with a minor in behavioral sciences from Bentley College. She is currently an MBA student at Bentley where her concentration is change management. At Travelers, she is an account executive and business insurance property and casualty underwriter.
Presentation: The speaker will give an overview of her position, explaining the various lines of commercial insurance: property; general liability; product liability; automobile; workers’ compensation; and umbrella liability. She will discuss risk analysis, insurance contracts, coverage analysis and account pricing. She will discuss why she chose this career and what she enjoys about it.
