Dream job: Perfecting Disney Princess Hair with Math

Alex McAdams never anticipated working in the movie industry as a college student, partly because math seemed very disconnected from movie production. Although Alex wanted a job with hands on, real world applications, he thought someone with a math degree could only become a math teacher, an actuary, or an accountant.

Things changed for Alex when he went to grad school for applied math at UCLA. He began to understand more about mathematical applications and developed a particular interest in computational physics.

Dream Job: Restocking Fish in the Ocean with Math

Fish provide an important source of protein in the U.S. and the world. It is important to manage the oceans well so that global economies can maximize the amount of fish that can be sustainably harvested. In graduate school, Allison DeLong learned quantitative ecology can help oceanographers and resource managers better manage ocean wildlife populations.