Peter Castro is with the Manufacturing Research & Engineering division of the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York, where he is the company's academic liaison for the Leaders in Manufacturing program at MIT. As part of this program he collaborates with researchers at MIT in model formulation and analysis of manufacturing systems. He is also responsible, within Kodak, for the internal implementation of the results obtained.

"The Manufacturing Research & Engineering division seeks to improve manufacturing processes," says Peter. "It is involved in design of new manufacturing facilities and processes, and modification of existing processes to increase product quality, increase efficiency, reduce cost, and reduce waste. Particularly with existing processes, mathematical modeling is used to characterize the process so that control strategies can be developed and modifications made on the basis of model predictions. The goal is to minimize process disruption and unforeseen, unpleasant side effects."

"In my capacity as liaison, I work with engineers, scientists, managers, and shop floor operators," he notes. "Educational backgrounds run from high school through Ph.D. in a wide variety of technical and business fields."

Peter has a B.A in mathematics from Cornell University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He has been at Kodak for 27 years, starting out as a research scientist. "An interest in applications made industry attractive when I graduated," he says. "Besides, there was a glut of Ph.D.s graduating in the late sixties, so industry was even more attractive. I have thoroughly enjoyed industrial work, particularly seeing the results of my modeling and mathematical investigations really used to affect real process performance, or change the manner in which research projects are carried out. I satisfied my desire to teach by teaching in, and heading, a masters program in applied mathematics at the University of Rochester, in addition to full time Kodak work."

"Based on work experience and teaching I can say that any mathematics is potentially valuable -- particularly the training in logical layout of a problem and rigorous analysis. Still, some courses are more valuable in applications than others. I would say that some must courses are analysis (including differential equations), linear algebra (including some functional analysis), probability, statistics, and, particularly important, numerical analysis. As many others as possible will come in handy. Non-mathematics courses that are valuable are anything that gives insight into the real world and that permits the student to become conversant with other non-mathematical technical workers."

"To work in industry you must be passionately interested in using mathematics to probe, understand, and change real world processes and systems. We do not study mathematics for the purpose of expanding the mathematical edifice, we use mathematics (and develop new mathematics where necessary) to affect the business around us -- whether it be manufacturing, physical/chemical research, marketing, or investment strategy."

    Return to Current Profiles and Forums