Spring 2019 Commencement - May 5, 2019
The Department of Mathematics is pleased to announce its graduating class of 2019. The College of Arts and Sciences conferred the degrees for 258 actuarial science and mathematics majors at the May 5, 2019, Commencement Ceremony.
The graduating class is made up of 89 actuarial science majors and 169 mathematics majors. The department strives to support a diverse undergraduate class; 30 percent of 2019 graduates are international students, and the class comprises 35 percent women and 65 percent men. Along with completing a major in actuarial science or mathematics, students also earned degrees in fields such as business, computer science and engineering, economics, physics, political science and more. In fact, two students completed both the actuarial science and mathematics degrees. Ohio State offers nearly 200 minors, giving students the opportunity to supplement their major curriculum in a wide array of fields. Graduates took this opportunity to complete minors in statistics, economics, business, computer and information science, aviation studies, leadership studies, English and more.
Students complete one of six tracks (applied, biology, education, financial, honors or theoretical) to earn a degree in mathematics. The financial and theoretical tracks are the most popular, each accounting for nearly 40% of this year’s graduating mathematics majors. The 2019 class saw a decrease in students graduating in the education track, as most students pursuing careers in education graduated in the rigorous theoretical track while simultaneously completing the requirements in the education track and the coursework to be admitted into Ohio State’s Master of Mathematical Sciences and Master of Education programs.
The accomplishments of the 2019 graduating class are too plentiful to list. Nearly 70% of students participated in an internship or research while at Ohio State. Students held positions in applied mathematics at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the NASA Office at Lockheed Martin; at actuarial and financial institutions such as Nationwide, Humana, and JP Morgan Chase; and at other organizations such as Teach for America and Deloitte Consulting. Graduates participated in research at Ohio State in the Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) REU program and the Knots and Graphs working group with professor Sergei Chmutov. Students were also accepted to participate in research programs at other universities such as University of Michigan and Arizona State University. Many of these graduates had the opportunity to present their research at the Young Mathematicians Conference hosted at Ohio State. Through participation in outstanding research, several students graduated with research distinction in mathematics, civil engineering, and economics.
Graduates from this year’s class must also be commended for their service to the department through the development and support of many undergraduate clubs and organizations. Students facilitated the long running Radical Pi Math Club and worked to expand the reach and activities of the Actuarial Club. Students organized a new Math to Industry seminar to empower students to use their mathematics degree to land rewarding jobs, while others helped establish and support the Association for Women in Mathematics Ohio State Chapter. Graduates are excited about their post-graduation plans. Many students have decided to pursue doctorate and master’s programs in mathematics, statistics, economics, and computer science. Others have secured acceptance in prominent professional programs, such as law school, medical school, education and financial engineering. While many decided to continue in formal education, others have accepted exciting positions in industry. With 75 percent of actuarial science majors completing at least two actuarial exams, it was not difficult for them to secure positions at such institutions as Ernst & Young, Liberty Mutual, Milliman, CNA Insurance and USAA. Mathematics graduates have accepted positions in data analytics, real estate investment, and at financial and research institutions. International students have had great success finding positions after leaving the United States, securing positions with CITI Bank and Deloitte Consulting, among others. A few graduates have decided to serve our country in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy through acceptance to pilot-training programs.
As we celebrate our most recent graduates, we turn our sights to the incoming class of 2023. One of our largest incoming class of over 300 students will be welcomed to Ohio State at the convocation ceremony on Aug. 19, 2019. This spring, the department also accepted its first students into the new Integrated Major in Mathematics and English (IMME), joining actuarial science and mathematics majors expecting to graduate in spring 2021.
Visit recent alumni for profiles of some of our recent graduates.
