Grant Degler, B.S. 2006
Chief, Economic Census and Related Surveys Statistical Methods Branch, U.S. Census Bureau, Suitland, MD
2006 Major: Mathematics and Physics
How has being a Mathematics graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?
"Most notably, I left not only having learned course material, but I developed the ability to explain my work from both a purely technical and less technical standpoint. Both of those skills are very important in my field. My math department courses were my first exposure to the sort of large-scale technical programming work I use in my current work. The optional courses I took in the major helped me to recognize my specific interests, and I used that to move on to getting my MS in probability and statistics from Michigan State (the undergraduate statistics major was not available until a couple years after I left Duke)."
What advice would you give students in Duke's Mathematics programs?
"Pay attention to optional course offerings--they can go a long way towards helping you figure out what may be (or may not be) a specific interest to you. As a plug for my own field, take some time to look around USAJobs.com to see the sorts of jobs available for math/stat graduates in the federal government. Many, including mine at the Census Bureau, will hire graduates with BS/MS degrees, so it may be a good option for those not interested in a career in an academic setting, or just aren't sure."
