What are our alumni doing?
Sandi Xhumari
Graduation Year: ‘10, Mathematics major
Major(s) and minor(s): math major, CS minor
Post-grad education: University of Connecticut, ’12 MS in Mathematics, ’16 PhD in Mathematics
Current position: Associate Professor of Mathematics
Employer: Bellevue College, WA
The most helpful aspects of my undergraduate education in mathematics were: I would say that almost all professors I had at GVSU, especially in the mathematics department, were an inspiration and role model for me. I learned how to be a good mathematics teacher from them, and I’m very grateful for the overall education experience at GVSU. The research experience through the S^3 program on Equal Circle Packing was really helpful to prepare for research in graduate school. Working at the Math Lab was also a great way to earn work experience and solidify the mathematics I learned.
The advice I’d offer to current undergraduate students in mathematics: Read about concepts you're learning or other related mathematical concepts not covered in class from different sources (books, articles, papers) even if they make sense when explained in lecture or in your textbook. Don't be satisfied with just learning the minimum required to succeed on an exam. A lot of insight can be gained from reading of mathematics from multiple sources, which will greatly help you learn how to learn mathematics on your own. This is perhaps the most crucial skill needed to succeed in graduate school. In graduate school you're expected to learn mostly on your own, and it's really challenging to do so if you cannot learn new concepts by using different written resources (in most cases there's no videos available to explain higher level mathematics). While it may seem like you're wasting a lot of time, think of it as an investment that will pay dividends later. In the future, you'll be busy trying to understand other concepts that build on them, so you will not have too much time to review previous concepts and will easily get overwhelmed even if you earned A grades in your classes.
In a typical day in my work, I: inspire students and help them learn how to learn on their own by teaching them in mathematics classes. I also participate in governance duties so that the college runs smoothly.
Other thoughts/comments: Thank you for all you did for me!
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