How to answer the question “What are you going to do with a math degree?!?”

Company and Industry: US Air Force, Defense, and Homeland Security

Abstract: Has someone in your family or a close friend ever asked, “what in the world you will do with a math degree?!?” Come learn about how a background in mathematics can lend itself to a diverse and interesting career as an applied mathematician for the federal government and its comparison to private industry work.

Bio: Julia Phillips is originally from Newman, CA (middle of nowhere) before she left to attend college. She received a B.S. in Mathematics from the US Air Force Academy, an M.S. in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Colorado School of Mines. During her 23-year Air Force military career (on active duty and reserve) she has worked on a wide variety of defense-related problems at various locations across the continental US as well as in a deployed environment. Upon separation from active duty, she worked at Argonne National Laboratory (outside of Chicago) working on applied mathematics problems for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy. She is currently the Division Chief of the HQ Air Force Material Command, Studies and Analysis Division, at Wright Patterson AFB.  She currently lives in Centerville with her husband, daughter, son, dog, two cats, two axolotls, and too many stink bugs to count!