Richard Hathaway


Position:

Professor of Mathematics

Employer:

Georgia Southern University

Job description:

Do research in pattern recognition and typically teach 2 (5 hour) courses per quarter. (CV is available through homepage.)

Salary range:

$50,000-$55,000 for nine months

Job satisfaction:

Let me discuss my satisfaction with the job of being a math professor, rather than anything specific to GSU.

Good:
The job of doing and teaching math and math related work is, for me, the best possible situation. The freedom to do research on what you are currently interested in, rather than what the company wants, is invaluable. The ability to witness students learn and become enthusiastic about math is also invaluable. Bad:
The administrative red tape which keeps professors from research and teaching is a drag, and it seems to be growing. Trying to stay content in a position, long term, is something that I and many others I know have a problem with.

Employment history:

Four years at the University of South Carolina in the Math and Stat departments, followed by 10 years here at Georgia Southern University.

Suggestions for students:

Consider not seeking a job. By that I mean to consider graduate school if you are not extremely driven to do something else.

Advisor/Student relationship:

I think that a one year sequence in either advanced calculus or real analysis should be required of every pure and applied math major. All my teachers at Georgia did a wonderful job, but the advanced calculus sequence taught to me by Professor Azoff was absolutely crucial to my success in graduate school. Applied mathematicians must first be mathematicians, and applied math degree programs that skimp on the rigorous mathematics are doing a tremendous disservice to the students.

Miscellaneous comments:

Thank you Professors Azoff, Penney, Edwards, Gard, and Lether for the opportunities that you helped create for me.

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Date of last update: May 23, 1997

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