Posted on October 17, 2022 by College of Sciences
#ThisIsWhatAScientistLooksLike
Sean Roberson, Applied Mathematics - Industrial Mathematics M.S. Student
By Ryan Schoensee, Senior Communications Specialist
Meet Sean Roberson, a graduate student from Pensacola, Florida who now lives in Converse, Texas and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Applied Mathematics - Industrial Mathematics from the UTSA College of Sciences.
Roberson transferred to UTSA's Graduate School in the summer of 2022 to focus on finishing his graduate degree. Roberson made this decision because of what UTSA has to offer its students. Whether it's the trajectory of the university's growth, its research enterprise, diverse student population, student support services, or world-class faculty, he's discovered plenty of benefits to being a Roadrunner.
"UTSA supports research in the local area and encourages students to participate in local projects," said Roberson. "The level of diversity at UTSA also empowers students to pursue their educational goals while being supported by top-class faculty."
Roberson has always wanted to use his abilities to solve problems in the workplace. During his senior year of high school, he decided to earn a bachelor's in mathematics, because it was an area of study he excelled in and would provide him with the most opportunities to help others. UTSA's graduate program felt like the next logical step for him.
"The Applied - Industrial Mathematics program focuses on giving students skills in mathematics that have application in industry," said Roberson. "This includes topics in data science, scientific computing, and connections to physics and engineering. As a newer student in the program, I enjoy the wide variety of subjects that can be learned to aid in my studies."
Roberson and his student team "Sad Pandas" recently competed in and won first prize in the Advanced Track at the first Rowdy Datathon, an annual event modeled after a hackathon with an emphasis on data science applications. Roberson's team included Christopher Ayo and Isaac Castro, two graduate students in the same program as Roberson, and Katherine Karr, a freshman pursuing a bachelor's in Mathematics and Computing. Student teams were given 24-hours to use a data set to answer questions while building models."
Students at the Datathon competed to investigate the socioeconomic factors that influence low birthweight and newborn mortality in Texas. There were workshops put on by industry, such as a talk about ethics in data science and an introduction to deep learning. Roberson found the event beneficial to his studies.
"The Datathon greatly improved my confidence in statistical modeling and showed me the true challenges of working with large data sets," said Roberson. "As a student of applied mathematics, this gave me skills I can use in future courses and in the workplace."
After he graduates, Roberson hopes to start a career in industry or government and then return to higher education on the other side of the classroom and teach math at the college level.
— College of Sciences
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