Business

• Michael S. McNally, ‘77
• Please describe your employment.
  I am Senior Director for a $750 million division of Bristol-Myers Squibb. We manufacture and sell medical devices. We provide a full range of operational financial support to the division.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  My department focus is on analysis and risk assessment, which uses probabilities, analysis, etc.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  I felt I received an excellent liberal arts education at Colgate. I cannot speak specifically as to how the mathematics department relates to other schools.
• Leanna D. Lawter, ‘84
• Please describe your employment.
  I have my own business. I run a five-person executive recruiting company.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Even though I have a bookkeeper and an accountant, I still keep my own cash flow and income statements. I also calculate all the commissions.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  In my previous career, I was a statistician and database marketer. It was a great profession. My education at Colgate helped me constantly because it was not just a math education. It was a good solid liberal arts education. It taught me to think strategically and be able to solve problems.
• Mike Murray, `87
• Please describe your employment.
  I am Vice President of HR Business Services for Citigroup. My job is to find functions within our businesses that are transactional and to determine whether using a central utility that all businesses share for the function could run them more efficiently. I look for operations to consider, study how the function currently operates, build a business case for how it would operate in a shared service, and help the teams that will ultimately handle the day to day operations build a project plan to shift the work to the shared service.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Exploring Mathematics at Colgate helped to develop my analytical thinking. Based on the answer above, you can see that analytical thought is important to each phase of the job. Negotiating, relationship, and debate skills are also critical, but a solid business case supports each of those. I do not use conceptual math in my job, but it is that part of my math experience that has been most helpful - think hard, be patient and try out lots of scenarios until you find the way that will solve the problem.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Students should consider Colgate for math because of the individual attention that you can receive as well as for the quality of the professors. It was obvious during the panel session that I participated in (Alumni Career Panel at Colgate) that there is generally a very good rapport between the students and professors as was the case when I attended Colgate. If you are willing to try, the professors will be there to support you. In addition, many of the classes are small enough to allow for a significant level of individual attention.
• David J. Rieser, ’88
• Please describe your employment.
  I am Senior Manager of Business Planning and Analysis at a Fortune 100 company. My job is to provide critical analytical thinking and financial analysis to problems across our organization. The range of activities could be across all functional areas of the organization: Sales, Manufacturing, Logistics, Finance, and Accounting.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  I do not use mathematics directly in my job; however, I do use my analytical training every day. The great thing about mathematics is that it teaches you to solve problems. In the real world, the strict rules of mathematics do not exist. Solving problems becomes a difficult task unless you have the skills to structure issues in a way that facilitates both the communication and resolution. Mathematics teaches you many of the skills required to do this.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Colgate needs to sell math as more than crunching numbers. They also need to encourage students in mathematics to double major.
• Michael Borom, ‘82
• Please describe your employment.
  I spent 15 years with General Electric in a variety of assignments ranging from a position at GE's Research & Development Center, various finance positions including CFO of GE Capital Mortgage, and manufacturing and turnaround management positions. I then was CFO of Aetna Property/Casualty until it was sold to Travelers. For the past 4 years, my partner and I have operated a mergers & acquisitions advisory firm and done private equity investments. We normally advise medium size corporations on buy or sell side assignments and are associated with about $1 billion of transactions annually. In addition, we try to invest in 1-2 private equity opportunities annually. We held/hold investments in NYC real estate, a cosmetics company in Mexico, and lighting technology in Florida. We are in the process of raising a $1 billion fund to invest in distressed debt and companies in Japan.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Mathematical thinking has come into play in (a) structuring deals, (b) establishing hedging models to hedge interest rate risks associated with holding I/O strips when I was CFO of the mortgage company, and (c) when approaching problems. The last element, learning creative approaches to solving problems, has been the most lasting and widely useful application of my association with the Colgate mathematics department. In addition, the problem solving skills developed and required for the tests administered by the math department forced one to learn to think through problems quickly, rather than just memorizing formulas or facts, and was extremely helpful in my career with GE, Aetna, and afterwards. Many times, issues arise that require solving on the fly and being able to structure solutions quickly. My success was, I believe, the direct result of the elements learned in order to survive and obtain a Colgate math degree (having some smarts also helps...). As CFO of a large property/casualty company, I had to be able to analyze and understand large reserving issues and actuarial calculations, something I think I would have been at a great disadvantage doing if not for my background in mathematics. Finally, the confidence I gained in dealing with the complexities and pressures associated with a math degree at Colgate allowed me to enter a variety of complex financial situations without fearing that I would not be able to solve the problem.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Colgate had a great professorial staff when I was there, and I assume it has maintained its high standards (Dan Saracino can pay me for this plug later). Also, the small class sizes were something that allowed me to push further into the subject matters.

Law

• Bob Montgomery ‘78
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a general business lawyer, i.e. I advise clients on contracts, financings, incorporations, real estate, mergers, etc. I am a partner at a small Denver law firm.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  I use math on a modest basis in financial matters; however, that is more often a matter of high school calculations rather than advanced math. More importantly, the logic and general disciplined analytical thinking derived from math is extremely helpful in figuring out problems, sifting case precedents, etc. Many legal problems are exercises in logic, with words and verbal propositions substituted for numbers.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Anyone who needs to learn analytical reasoning with a leavening of liberal arts courses (like a lawyer) would be well served at Colgate with a math major.
• Barbara Zicht Richmond, ‘78
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a family law/domestic relations lawyer and mediator.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Simple, basic math is used directly to calculate tax consequences, alimony, child support, asset division, present value, and the like. Mathematical thinking – logic and option generation is more widely used.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Colgate has a fabulous faculty, good course selection, and a wonderful learning and growing environment. The way thinking, analyzing, and problem solving was taught is indispensable to my career and life.
• Steve Plinio, ‘85
• Please describe your employment.
  I am music lawyer in Los Angeles at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. My partners and I represent artists, songwriters, bands, etc. in their dealings with major record companies, film companies, etc. We deal predominantly with the talent side of the business and typically act as agents in their affairs - whether they are doing a worldwide tour or affiliating with an internet company for downloadable music rights. Unlike most lawyers, we actually get to have some fun.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  As probably is the case for any lawyer, mathematical thinking is used every day - from dissecting a complicated contract provision to drafting an intelligent letter. Logical thinking is the cornerstone of any attorney's practice. A mathematics background teaches you to think logically.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  In my day, I had some of the best teachers in the Colgate math department. These teachers were also some of the best that I ever had in any school - including law school. They made math interesting.

Education

• Steve Abbott, Valedictorian ‘86
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a Professor of mathematics at Middlebury College. Middlebury is very similar to Colgate in its educational philosophy (it is no accident that I decided to attend a liberal arts college and that I am now working at one), so I imagine my day is quite similar that of a professor in Colgate's department.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  I am interested in mathematics for its poetry, but as a teacher, I think I have to be willing to discuss this subject from some of its more pragmatic points of view as well. Mathematics is the grammar of so many subjects. Teaching at Middlebury, I have also had the opportunity to drift outside of the math department to teach a seminar on Hofstadter's famous marvel of a book Godel Escher Bach, and a short January course on the plays of Tom Stoppard. Both of these experiences were extremely rewarding, and in both cases, I used my background in mathematics as a way of accessing this newer material. My interest in Hofstadter's book began with a desire to learn more about formal logic and Godel's incompleteness theorems, but by the end I was engaged in conversations about surrealist art and the possibility of artificial intelligence. Likewise, my interest in Tom Stoppard began when I was asked to be a consultant to Middlebury's recent production of Arcadia, a play, which is full of allusions to Fermat, fractals, and the second law of thermodynamics. I understood the mathematics, but in the end, of course, I wanted to understand the plays.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  There were not many majors when I was at Colgate (`82-`86), but this actually made for wonderful one on one experiences with some excellent faculty. My course in Galois theory with Dan Saracino had three students (Prof. Saracino only looked at his notes once all semester, I think). It seemed that any time I wanted I could walk into the math office and get into a good conversation (mathematical or otherwise) with whomever was around. Having spent some time teaching at a large university, I know now how remarkable that situation is. One of my favorite memories is going to a musical play in town (How to succeed in business without trying) and seeing Prof. Lantz in a lead role.
• Christopher W. Zobel, ‘91
• Please describe your employment.
  I am an assistant professor in the department of Management Science and Information Technology at Virginia Tech.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  My research deals with building mathematical models to help characterize and optimize real world problems. I also use the logic inherent in mathematical thinking to help me with explaining difficult concepts to students and to help them to understand those concepts.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  A good mathematics background provides an excellent stepping-stone to virtually any technical field, and the quality of the faculty at Colgate ensures that each student will have a strong foundation upon which to build. In addition, Colgate’s liberal arts tradition helps to produce multi- dimensional students capable of applying their skills within many areas of industry or academia.
• Terry R. Tiballi, ‘75
• Please describe your employment.
  I am an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Department at State University of New York College at Oswego.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  I teach a variety of mathematics courses. I have written and published textbooks and articles on mathematics.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  During my time on campus, Colgate had an outstanding faculty – excellent teachers, people active in the national organizations and in publishing. I was interested in mathematics before I got to campus. Colgate’s faculty nurtured me and gave me an excellent foundation for graduate study.
• Dawn Quigley, ‘94
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a high school math teacher at a public high school. I am also the sponsor of the newly created Math Club at our school.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  As a high school math teacher, I think about and use math daily. My goals are to help students increase their knowledge of mathematical skills and concepts while also developing their ability as strong problem solvers and thinkers.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  If students are interested in a degree in mathematics, Colgate is an ideal place to be. The math department is made up of a small but mighty group of people who are extremely intelligent and highly qualified as mathematicians and as teachers.
• Walter W. Piegorsch, ‘79
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a Professor of Statistics at the University of South Carolina. I teach and advise undergraduates and graduate students in statistics and perform statistical research for dissemination and publication.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Mathematics is an integral part of statistical theory and practice. I use it daily in all aspects of my profession.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Colgate is a small college that provides a good background in mathematics and a good general liberal education. Colgate teaches students how to learn.

E-Commerce

• Paul Hoogenboom, ‘82
• Please describe your employment.
  I am Vice President & General Manager of RPM-e/c, Inc., a wholly owned e-commerce subsidiary of RPM, Inc. I was brought on by RPM to build this group from scratch last summer, with a mission to pursue a variety of e-commerce initiatives across the various companies that RPM owns & industries that they participate in. RPM is a $2.2b holding company, owning companies such as DAP, Rust-Oleum, Bondo, Testors, Day-Glo, and Flecto (see www.rpminc.com for the entire list of companies).
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  The problem solving skills and methodologies I learned from Dan Saracino have had a profoundly positive effect on my professional career. In simple terms, the process of writing down what you know as quickly as possible, and then the ongoing process of expanding on what you know, and finding the inherent connectivity and causality (i.e. patterns and templates), with a final outcome of having solved the problem in as elegant and simple a manner possible, is pretty much the foundation of how I work daily.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Colgate has an emphasis on teaching and one-on-one interaction between students and professors. In my first semester at Colgate, lacking the ability to adequately solve problems, Dan Saracino made himself available to me virtually EVERY afternoon to help me learn how to learn. Little time would be spent on the actual mechanics, but much time was spent by me starting with, "Now what were you thinking? How did you see that? How do I recognize that situation?" I think Colgate offers an unusual opportunity for one or more professors to have a profound impact on a student's future. I also think, in general (I also have a computer science degree from Colgate as a point of reference), Colgate teaches you how to think and how to learn. Having been in perpetual recruiting mode for many years, I often lament the inability of most graduating students to think and solve problems.

Medicine and Biostatistics

• Diane Madlon-Kay, ‘75
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a family physician. I teach residents and do research in addition to clinical practice.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  I work with research statistics.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  I don’t know. I chose Colgate for other reasons, and I decided to major in math later. However, my favorite teacher ever is Prof. Tucker, a math professor.
• David Amato, ‘76
• Please describe your employment.
  Currently, I am Director of Biostatistics at Sepracor, Inc., a small pharmaceutical company in Marlborough, Massachusetts. I oversee a group of five biostatisticians and two statistical programmers, all engaged in conducting clinical trials to test new drugs, with the goal of obtaining FDA approval for them. In addition to other positions, I spent 10 years on the faculty of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, working in NIH-sponsored data coordinating centers involved in clinical trials testing therapies for AIDS and cancer. Basically, all of my positions have involved collaborative medical research on clinical trials.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  A career in biostatistics requires, with few exceptions, an advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in biostatistics, statistics, or a related field (for example, my degree is in operations research, with a major in applied statistics). Thus, you need a good background in mathematics to study biostatistics at that level. Beyond that, the day-to-day work of collaborating on clinical trials requires a solid understanding of the scientific process (e.g., hypothesis testing), good judgement on how to design studies to minimize sources of bias, the ability to identify the best methods of analyzing different types of data, and the ability to interpret results properly. Mathematics is also used to derive new methods or apply existing methods to new situations, to compute appropriate sample sizes for studies, and to read the literature to understand new developments in the field.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Assuming the quality of the mathematics program is the same or better than when I was there (I graduated almost 24 years ago), I would recommend Colgate for two reasons. First, it has a strong mathematics department with a solid set of core courses and, for its size, a good range of courses. Second, because of its size, Colgate offers much better direct access to the professors than is generally true at larger universities. The larger universities often have huge classes, with more than 200 students, taught by the professor, supplemented by smaller problem sessions run by graduate students; graduate students hold office hours, and access to the professor is very limited. At Colgate, the classes were all fairly small and the professors held their own office hours, so it was simple to talk directly to the professors.

Operations Research

• Susan Monroe, ‘87
• Please describe your employment.
  From 1994-2000, I was an operations research analyst in three different organizations: The Department of Energy in Washington, DC, where I worked on the National Energy Modeling System from 1994-1996; Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper in Valley Forge, PA, where I developed strategic planning tools for a multi-site manufacturing company from 1996-1999; QVC in West Chester, PA where I work in the Business Analysis Department, where I have developed mathematical models the help with scheduling of the call centers and inventory issues. I have now left the OR profession to become the Executive Director of Chester County Futures, a non-profit mentor and scholarship program for Chester County, PA, Youth. It is this job I am most excited about and I look forward to the opportunity to work for a marvelous organization and make a difference in my community.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Up until my latest career move, I was an applied mathematician and used my skills directly to build mathematical models. I also use mathematical thinking in project management and in writing and presentations because the presentation needs to follow a logical pattern of statement and proof. In my new career it will be a much more abstract usage because I will be using a variety of skills needed to run an organization. Mathematics teaches logic and abstract thinking, which has allowed me to step back from a problem and see the big picture. This skill has been key in my work in strategic planning and will be key in my new job. Mathematics has also instilled a discipline and order to my work. Finally, having a Ph.D. in mathematics has opened a lot of doors because any degree in mathematics is still rare and it sets you apart from other candidates.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Because the Colgate curriculum exposes even students with a technical major to a variety of subjects. It is at Colgate that I learned to write, to think critically, and to develop my own ideas. I believe that college should teach you how to educate yourself and expose you to a lot of ideas regardless of your major. Most of my memorable classes were outside the mathematics requirements and I am glad I had this opportunity.

Telecommunications

• Michael C. Winterbottom, ‘81
• Please describe your employment.
  I am currently V.P. of Information Technology for a national trade association. Formerly, I was a Senior Analyst for an Aerospace Software Contractor and a Senior Developer for a telecommunications firm.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  In former positions, I used my mathematical background to construct probability models for collisions between the Space Shuttle and space debris. Also, I generated threat fans for missile launches and launch profiles for space launches. In addition, I believe that there is a strong carry over from mathematical thinking into the field of software development.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  My background at Colgate provided a great context for the application of mathematics, i.e. my experience at Colgate rounded off my training in mathematics.
• Tom Hallagan, ‘84
• Please describe your employment.
  I work in venture capital investing in the telecommunications and financial services industries.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Analytical thinking is helpful in making investment decisions. While there is no way for me to articulate how I use group theory on a daily basis, I suspect the training helped me in ways I will always appreciate.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  I chose mathematics at Colgate because I enjoyed the professors. That was a while ago, but I bet today’s professors still love studying and teaching mathematics.
• Karl B. Stewart, ‘91
• Please describe your employment.
  I am building a new career as a professional actor, after having been a customer service manager at a couple companies for three and a half years. I have been playwright, producer, and actor in my one-man shows. I am also an ensemble actor with Classical Theater of Harlem and am a member of LabWorks (affiliated with Public Theater). I am presently in rehearsal at Manhattan Class Company working on a new play by a high school playwright and having a lot of fun. By process of elimination, I've come back to the thing I love.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Just as I used my mathematical mindset as a customer service manager to analyze work flow processes or to evaluate statistics generated on call volume, call lengths, etc., or to compare empirical performance of customer service reps, I use it now to analyze a character, breaking him down to his operational elements. I also use critical thinking to find solutions to any problem at work or even in my personal life. It is helping me formulate my monthly spending plan and balance my budget. A step by step methodical "there must be an answer that I just haven't found yet" way of thinking is just a natural part of me. I combine that with my genuine love and care for people, including myself, and empathy for their feelings and needs and am deepening a belief that sometimes I just have to let go of finding the answer. The answer sometimes comes when it is ready, or I let go.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  When I was there many years ago...(hee hee), the classes were small, and I always felt that I mattered. The professors were accessible, friendly, fun, and seemed to love what they were doing. And as an alumnus, there's at least one professor that I can call a friend. Then as now, I wish I made more contact with him.
• Kathryn Roy, ‘79
• Please describe your employment.
  I am currently VP of Marketing and acting CFO at Dimensional Photonics, a start-up selling 3D measurement devices. I started in May of 2000, after recovering from 9 months of travel in Asia at the completion of a tour with the Peace Corps in Papua New Guinea.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Prior to the Peace Corps, I was Service Line Manager at BBN, an internet service provider subsequently acquired by GTE. As in my other positions in telecommunications, I used queuing theory extensively.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  When I graduated from high school, the only thing I knew about my career was that I didn't want to study math anymore. But after my first class at Colgate, I revised the plan and majored in it. I really enjoyed the faculty.

Graduate Studies

• Larry Latson, ‘99
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a first-year graduate student in biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. My research interests are in medical imaging and image processing, specifically in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), and quantitative microscopy. I am the only BME graduate student in my class without an engineering undergraduate degree.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  I use math every day. Acquiring medical images is a very complicated process, mainly because the patient doesn't really want you to cut them open to just take a picture. Thus images need to be reconstructed in various ways, and that requires math. Then, once you have the images, they can be processed to gain further information. Images can be modeled as probability fields or as discrete or continuous signals. That too requires math.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  This is a tough one. The mathematics professors at Colgate are excellent. But I think the real reason to choose Colgate for math is the education you don't get in the department. I wouldn't trade my liberal arts education for anything; in fact, if I had it to do over again, it would be even more liberal (whatever that means!). I would take even more humanities and social sciences than I did. Colgate was great because I got an excellent education in mathematics and exposure to a wide variety of topics that I will never have access to again.
• Mridul Mehta, Salutatorian `97, winner of the TOP award at Colgate, the 1819 Award
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a PhD student in Mathematics at the University of Chicago and have just begun my fourth year. I am currently working on my thesis and hope to finish in another 2 years time.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Considering that I am pursuing a PhD in mathematics, it’s hardly surprising that I spend a lot of my time thinking about and doing math.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  For many reasons. I believe: 1) The department is one of the most friendly at Colgate, and students can be assured to receive genuine encouragement, support, and advice from the profs. 2) The profs are not just very well qualified to teach and capable of good research, but more importantly they care for the students and put an enormous amount of effort into their teaching. I found that for them it was not just a matter of presenting a topic and getting it done, but that they spent a lot of time trying to think of new and more insightful ways of presenting the material so that learning became much more conceptual (as opposed to mechanical memorization), fun, and challenging. 3) The department also offers good support and advice for students wanting to pursue mathematical careers beyond the undergraduate level. Talks from past math majors, regular seminars on other math topics, the option of pursuing independent study under a faculty member, training for Putnam Competition and other math problem solving and modeling contests, and training for actuarial exams are just some of the activities which are on besides regular math courses. I also attended several undergrad math conferences (sponsored by the dept.) and did summer research for 2 summers at Colgate as an undergrad there.

Computer Science

• Bill Marsh, ‘74
• Please describe your employment.
  I am a Technical support rep. for Group1 Software and have been employed for 25 years in information systems since graduating from Colgate in 1974. I program in different languages and help the client understand our software.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  Mathematics taught me to think logically, and that has been invaluable in my programming work.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  Colgate has a well-balanced curriculum in addition to the mathematics major. Mathematics in the setting that is Colgate works well because Colgate is not an overcrowded university and there are many places to get away and think.
• Jon Fournier, ‘97
• Please describe your employment.
  I am currently working as a Senior Technical Support Engineer at MathSoft, Inc. in Cambridge, MA. I assist engineers, academics, and other users in solving complicated mathematical equations with Mathcad, one of our software products.
• How do you use math directly or mathematical thinking in your career?
  The nature of my work requires both strong technical and communication ability. I need to be able to understand complex energy problems and how our software can address them. Additionally, I must be able to explain this to someone who may or may not have a strong technical background. Many problems require a logical approach to be solved, while others just need someone who has a strong desire to tackle them. Mathematicians by nature possess these abilities.
• Why should a student choose Colgate for mathematics?
  When I went to Colgate I can honestly say that I had no intention of majoring in mathematics. However, I was quickly won over by the department. The professors were all down-to-earth, understanding, and helpful people. The small size of the department was particularly attractive and allowed everyone to get to know everyone else. Perhaps most important about majoring in math at Colgate is that you graduate with must more than just a degree in math. You are someone who can think and speak eloquently in addition to solving complex problems.