John is a research associate with Kodak's Research Labs at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. He is a member of the Computational Science Lab (CSL), which is chartered to provide expertise in mathematical modeling and computationally intensive problem solving.
"Our lab acts like an in-house consulting group," says John. "The projects can last from three months to three years, and range in intensity from full time down to intermittent (e.g. one day every two or three weeks). For a given project, I generally work with only one or two people from the client organization. However, my CSL colleagues are always available for discussion and/or assistance. The CSL members all have some computational background in mathematics, physics, or chemistry, and almost all are Ph.D.s."
John has a Ph.D. and M.A. in mathematics from Indiana University, and a B.A. in mathematics from Cornell University. When he finished his Ph.D. in 1973 there were very few academic job openings. "Also," he adds "while doing my thesis, I discovered that while I 'could' prove new theorems, I didn't get a feeling of accomplishment. I wanted to do more than make marks on a piece of paper."
He has just completed his 22nd year at Kodak. "I came here directly from campus and all but five of those years were spent in research," he says. "I have always used mathematics, but the application areas have changed. Previous areas include graphic arts (printing), radiography, and product development. What I enjoy is problem-solving and the great diversity of problems I get to work on. There is always something new to learn, and new applications of things already known."
"Mathematics is everywhere in my job," he continues. "Sometimes it's very clear, e.g. setting up and solving a PDE from physics. Other times it's less obvious, e.g. analyzing a problem situation and deciding what the problem actually is. My work is general problem-solving, using whatever I can think of to find a solution. Currently, I am developing algorithms for digital cameras."
John prefers not to give a list of courses he would recommend beyond admitting that "you can a long way on just calculus and linear algebra." Rather he recommends that the student develop "mathematical maturity". "By this I mean having enough math under your belt that nothing scares you off. It means knowing that if the situation gets ugly and you really DO have to read that article with dense notation, you can grind it out, ... you CAN do it."
When looking for a job his advice is to bring enthusiasm and curiosity. "These characteristics will stand out in an interview like a beacon," he says. "While companies are looking for a certain skill set to fill a job opening, they don't expect you to already know their business. What they are hoping for is a person with the right skills and who is interested and able to learn the details of their particular applications."
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