I earned a BS degree in Mathematics at UNCW. I also did a senior honor's project in the foundations of Computer Science and earned a Secondary Teachers Certificate. My extra courses were mostly in Physics.
I did teach Mathematics and Physics at the secondary level for two years before entering graduate school
I did earn a graduate degree in Mathematics and then went to on to teach Mathematics and Computer Science at the junior-college level.
After my teaching years I joined the Computer industry where I have worked for, about, the past 30 years.
I attended UNCW after completing four years of active duty with the United State Navy. I was a member of the Naval Weather Service. I additionally worked for the National Weather Service for a year before coming to UNCW. The entire time I attended UNCW I was funded by the GI-BILL.
I was an older student having spent six years or so after High School in the US Navy and the National Weather Service. I did feel that academics had progressed since my High School graduation and I was anxious about doing well at the University.
For me at that time of my life with my past experiences UNCW was a perfect fit.
While working for the National Weather Service I did take three Math and Logic courses at the University College of the University of Maryland with mixed results. The more technical Math course was something of a disaster while the general Math and the Logic course were very successful.
When I arrived at UNCW I did take two semesters of introductory analysis. Dr Halsey and Dr Norris taught those courses and was able to start the Calculus sequence that summer and was right on track for third semester Calculus and Linear Algebra by the next fall and from then on felt very comfortable in my course of study.
My Senior honors paper was concerned with Turning Machines, my advisor was Dr Halsey; along with the symbolic logic course I took under Dr Susan Dankel left me with a life long interest in the foundations of Mathematics and Computer Science.
While my undergraduate experience at UNCW left me plenty of challenges when I arrived in graduate school, I did do well. I do not think one should experience graduate school as a bed of roses. My Masters Thesis was in Geometric Function Theory and I often though of Dr Hernandez's introductory course in Complex Analysis I took at UNCW.
All in all it was a wonderful four years and I would do it the same way again if given the opportunity.
There was another comment box that I over flowed so here is that content:
ReplyDeleteI not only give a small donation on a yearly basis to the UNCW Mathematics department but I also give a small donation to the UNC-CH Mathematics department.
So I do get notices from both Alumni offices and I find the amount of information I receive about each program about the same.
Both departments used to send letters when I gave donations and both departments used to have these neat newsletters they sent out but in recent years both departments no long send department specific news or thank you notes. I imagine that there are not a great number of old Math students that contribute and is is really not worth their while to send thank you notes and news letters.
And to be clear I DO NOT consider sending of notes and newsletters any sort of requisite for my giving to the University. If I wanted notes and newsletters I expect they would be forthcoming if my level of giving was a bit higher.