Meet Our Alumni: Career Paths & Conversations connects current UNT mathematics graduate students with distinguished alumni to explore career opportunities beyond academia.

This forum highlights how former UNT students transitioned from graduate school into rewarding roles in business, industry, research institutions, and government. Alumni speakers will reflect on their experiences as graduate students and share insights into their professional journeys, the skills that proved most valuable, and the lessons they learned along the way.

Through talks and discussions, participants will gain practical advice, mentorship, and inspiration for their own professional journeys.

For more information, please contact Nam Trang or Kiko Kawamura.

Events for Spring 2026

Presenting: Joseph Prein

Date & Time: March 27th, 2026 | 2:00 pm
Title: In The Age of AI, You Have A Superpower – You Studied Math

Abstract: The rapid improvements in the capabilities of Large Language Models have completely changed the landscape of many industries, and software development is no exception. Writing code has never been easier or cheaper, allowing small teams to ship thousands of lines of code in days or weeks instead of months. But often, the most difficult part of software engineering is knowing what to write. This requires developing a holistic understanding of the problem space, identifying potential edge cases, and often making compromises in the design. It is here that the mathematician’s skillset excels: we are trained to be experts in speaking precisely and in resolving ambiguity. This does not mean that there isn’t a steep mountain to climb. Software engineering is a vast field, and it takes time to build the requisite level of understanding to be a productive developer.

In this talk, I will share an outline of my personal journey making the transition from mathematics to software development. I’ll discuss what set my resume apart from other applicants, and things I think I should have done differently in both my education and early career. Finally, I’ll talk a bit about the current industry use of AI, and how a background in mathematics helps to level the playing field versus graduates of computer science programs.

This career event will follow a unique format. After a short talk, there will be a panel discussion. The PhD graduate panelists are Mani Dhakal and Erin Pierce, and the moderator is Brandon Walker.

Past Events

Date Speaker Title
2022 -11-7 Dr. Mike P. Cohen Three math tracks: each alike in dignity?