Student Testimonials

Chris Mascotti-Rasor, Wooster High School Mathematics Teacher, Mathematics Department Co-Chairperson, Varsity Asst. Girls Basketball Coach, Wooster, OH, BS 1987, MS 1989

My experience with the BGSU mathematics and statistics program was excellent. The faculty and staff were professional yet caring and personable. As a result of both my undergraduate (Math Education) and graduate (Math) degrees, I am currently teaching AP Calculus and Pre- calculus at Wooster High School (Ohio) as well as assuming the role of department chairperson. BGSU is awesome!!

David Sobecki, Associate Professor, Miami University Hamilton, OH, BS 1988, MA 1990, Ph.D. 1995

I think most people feel that students who do well in math are just plain smart, so it seems reasonable that math majors are always going to be attractive to potential employers. The savvy employer also knows that the problem-solving skills that are at the heart of an education in mathematics are exactly the skills that they want in an employee -- the ability to innovate, to think on your own, and to apply your knowledge to a wide variety of challenges.

I found the environment of the BGSU math department to be so enriching that I never left... at least not until I had to! My original plan as a math education major was to put in my four years and head off to teach high school, but I realized midway through my senior year that the department had more to offer than I could take advantage of in four years, so I continued on, eventually earning a PhD that I'd never even considered until some of my math professors encouraged me.

Mark Medwid, PhD Student, Pure Mathematics

One of the things that I truly love about BGSU’s Math department is that its size is conducive to creating a community amongst the graduate students, faculty and staff. There is no trace of a competition with graduate students – rather, we all help each other along the way. Even the more senior students are generally willing to lend a hand to someone who might be struggling. I also think that the courses offered here are of a high caliber. There are some standard classes that must be covered in each major, but the special topics courses ( any of the courses with label Math 6820) give one exposure to a variety of concepts and can make the daunting task of research more accessible. The department is full of well-seasoned mathematicians and statisticians who can help one start his or her path to becoming a true professional.

Jiangeng Huang, Graduate Student, Statistics

My study experience in Math & Stats Department is wonderful because of several features: the people here, the academic environment here and the campus here. All the faculty here are really friendly to me and always ready for help. I can always step by their office and have a face-to-face talk with them. This is really helpful in graduate studies and for in-depth researches. The graduate students here are also friendly to each other and we often discuss problems with each other. The Math & Stats seminars and colloquium here are great places for people to share ideas and I benefit most from the Statistics Seminars. Like last semester, we had R seminars every week and each time we cover one topic in R programming. Finally, I like the safe and nice campus here: the library, the Student Union, the new REC center, all these make here a great place for graduate studies!

Nathan Baxter, Ph.D Student, Statistics

Given that I had been out of graduate school for 5 years and had selected a different field of study, the faculty were extremely helpful in making sure the transition went smoothly and without delaying my progress. It is clear that the faculty have a genuine interest in the progress of the graduate students and are incredibly eager to help with any questions or guidance that they needed.  There is also a feeling of community among the graduate students who, on a regular basis, hang out between and after classes. While the graduate student offices are spread out within the mathematics building, we often find a common office to discuss ideas and forge weekend plans.  The department diligently looks for and forwards job opportunities on a daily basis. These opportunities range from professorships to private sector positions, many of which are sent from recent graduates looking to recruit for their current employers.  If you are looking to become a professor of mathematics or statistics, BGSU is a great choice because from the very first year graduate students teach their own sections of courses. By the end of the program all graduate students will have gained a significant amount of valuable teaching experience across a wide range of subjects.  I can’t recommend BGSU for graduate study in mathematics or statistics enough. You will experience the diversity and rigor of a large school with the community and openness of a small private university.

Benjamin Carr - Trusted Systems Researcher, U.S. Department of Defense

As a trusted systems researcher for the Department of Defense I am responsible for performing research aimed at ensuring the security of critical computer and communications systems.  My graduate education at BGSU provided excellent preparation. The breadth and depth of coursework gave me a solid grounding in the wide variety of mathematical topics (including algebra, probability, and analysis) that I regularly deal with.  Finally, the value of the teaching experience provided by BGSU cannot be overstated. Very few graduate programs give their students the opportunity to so fully develop the presentation skills required of  teaching a class. Time-and-again these presentation skills have aided my career.  The coursework and research experience provided by the BGSU Mathematics Department is strong enough to warrant my recommendation, when combined with the teaching experience the overall education is as good as any.