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LISTED
BELOW ARE FULTON SCHOOL MENTORS AND CAREER ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS FROM
THEM |
| ►Mr.
Paul Clark |
■ Title-Microbiologist
■ Employer-BioDefense Team, Science and Technology
Corp., Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center
■ Major-BS- Biology/Microbiology
■ Year of Graduation-2003
■ Graduate School Major-MS- Biotechnology/BioDefense-
Johns Hopkins University |
I am currently a
Microbiologist working for Science & Technology Corporation at Aberdeen
Proving Ground in Maryland. I am contracted by the US Army and
Department of Defense mainly working on studies examining fumigants and
how efficiently they decontaminate building interior surfaces
contaminated with Bio-threat agents such as anthrax, pestis, and ricin.
If there were any advise I could give to students considering careers in
biology, it would definitely be to get as much research experience as
you can get. At Salisbury, I did an internship at Perdue Farms Inc my
Senior year which helped me gain experience working in a real working
laboratory that you just do learn from the educational setting. I also
know some professors there have research opportunities for students that
will even count towards graduation credits that I highly recommend
students looking into.
Also, I would recommend students searching for jobs and posting resumes
on internet sites around 1 semester prior to graduation. From personal
experience and those from colleagues, it may take a few months before
you get called for job offers. Do not get discouraged, I had my resume
online for about 2-3 months and did not get one call, then the next week
I received 4 calls from 4 different companies asking for interviews and
job offers. It is definitely weird how it works but I also know this has
happened to many other people as well. On Aberdeen Proving Ground, I
know of at least 5 Salisbury graduates that are currently working here.
You might hear this a lot but I swear by it, "90% of the time, its not
what you know, its who you know" when looking for jobs. You'll find
there are a lot of people out there looking for jobs, so its up to you
to go out and reach for any advantage you can get. Do not be afraid to
contact alumni or ask professors if they keep in touch with alumni in
your field because we are here to help. |
| ►Julia Balsley |
■ Title-Registered
Environmental Health Specialist
■ Employer-Arlington County Department of Human
Services, Public Health Division, Environmental Health Bureau in
Virginia.
■ Major-B.S. in Environmental Health
■ Minor-Dance
■ Year of Graduation-1998
My career involves protecting public health by mostly inspecting food
establishments and pool facilities. My major at SU best prepared me for
my career. I am a Registered Environmental Health Specialist for the
Arlington County Department of Human Services, Public Health Division,
Environmental Health Bureau in Virginia. I graduated in May 1998 with a
B.S. in Environmental Health. |
 ►Dr.
Robert Joyner, Jr., PhD, RRT
(Click on picture to enlarge) |
■ Title-Associate
Professor and Chair, Department of Health Sciences-Director, Respiratory
Therapy Program
■ Employer-Salisbury University
■ Major-Respiratory Therapy, Salisbury University
■ Year of Graduation-1991
■ Graduate School Major-Graduate - Dartmouth Medical
School - PhD in Physiology - Class 1998 |
1. Below is a description
about my career and some suggestions that may help you. (Please
click on the following websites)
http://www.aarc.org/career/be_an_rt/
2. Career-related suggestions to better prepare students for a career in
my field.
http://www.aarc.org/career/be_an_rt/3. A voice
audio concerning my career.
http://www.aarc.org/career/life_and_breath/life_and_breath_med.rm |
| ►Kris Hallengren |
■ Title-Senior
Valuation Consultant
■ Employer-Clifton Gunderson, LLP
■ Major-Math-stats concentration and Accounting
■ Year of Graduation-2000
■ Graduate School Major-Finance (pursuing at
Loyola)-2008 |
I perform business and
intellectual property valuations, damage calculations and forensic
accounting services to attorneys and corporations for purposes of breach
of contract, divorce, estate/gift tax, shareholder oppression, ESOPs,
FAS 141/142/123R compliance, IRC 409(a) compliance, merger's &
acquisitions and embezzlement. What a mouthful!
This career is great if you have a strong accounting background but are
interested more in the financial decision making aspects of a business.
Every engagement is different so eventually you become a jack of all
trades and industries. Overall, my top recommendation is to not
initially get a 5th year of accounting in pursuit of the 150 credit
hours. The more you diversify yourself the more opportunities you will
have down the road as over 50% of high level accounting jobs require a
strong working knowledge of financial concepts. My top recommendations
for additional studies to get the 150 are finance, economics or
statistics. In addition, I definitely recommend starting at a Big 4 firm
just to get the experience, you can always go smaller later or switch to
a division that interests you more within a larger organization. |
 ►Nicole
Juersivich
(Click on picture to enlarge) |
■ Title-Doctoral
Student in Mathematics Education
■ Employer-University of Virginia
■ Major-Mathematics with a concentration in
Education
■ Year of Graduation-SU-2001
■ Graduate School Major-Masters of Science:
Mathematics (2005); Doctorate: Mathematics Education (2008/2009) |
1. Provide a few
sentences about your career and any advice that may help students.
Currently I am a 2nd year doctoral student in Mathematics Education.
However, my masters is in pure mathematics. I’m aiming to obtain a
mathematics education position within a mathematics department in hopes
to teach lower level mathematics courses as well as math method courses.
As a masters student in mathematics, I was required to teach at least
one section of Calculus I and II as well as take up to three graduate
mathematics courses each semester. To receive my degree, I needed to
pass a preliminary examination, write and present a masters
presentation, or write and present a masters thesis. I choose to do the
latter in order to get original research experience.
In my first year as a doctoral student in mathematics education, I took
four classes and assisted in teaching a course each semester. Primarily
I must take math research method courses as well as general qualitative
and quantitative type research courses. I also can fulfill electives by
taking either mathematics or education graduate courses.
As a second year, I will be taking 7 courses throughout the year and
supervising student teachers.
During the summer, we are encouraged to create and carry out research
projects, as well as present novel mathematics lessons at conferences
such as NCTM.
Advice: Earning a masters in mathematics education or a masters in
mathematics can lead you to a doctorate in mathematics education.
However, as a doctoral student, you will be either supplementing your
degree with upper level mathematics courses or educational courses
respectively. Before applying to a specific university, you should
discuss the courses, which you will need to fulfill the requirement.
Furthermore, when applying for a position after receiving your degree,
depending on the university, you might be required to spend more time in
the education aspect or the mathematics aspect. You should ponder these
features while deciding to obtain your degree so you will have the
experience needed for the wanted position.
2. Offer any career-related suggestions to better prepare students
for a career in your industry.
Some teaching experience in the high school setting is a major advantage
prior to working toward your degree. It allows one to have an arsenal of
creative ideas and understandings of the classroom, which will provide a
better foundation for presentation and dissertation areas.
Technology is a prominent topic within mathematics education. The more
one learns about activities that can be done using SMART board,
Geometer’s Sketch Pad, TI-83, and EXCEL, the more prepared one will be
to use those tools to succeed in teaching other mathematics teachers as
well as using them to supplement your research. |
|
►William "Nick" Nichols |
■ Title-Environmental
Scientist
■ Employer-US. Environmental Protection Agency
■ Major-Environmental Health Science-Economics
■ Year of Graduation-1992 |
1. Provide a few sentences
about your career and any advice that may help students.
U.S. EPA is a very diverse agency with positions in many fields besides
environmental science such as accounting, economics, and engineering.
I work in the oil spill prevention program as an environmental
scientist, but much of what I do is work on writing rules and policies
for emergency responders to be better equipped to clean up oil spills.
But you cannot forget the human relationship building skills, as well as
political savvy that cannot be learned in the classroom.
2. Offer any career-related suggestions to better prepare them for a
career in your industry.
Be a good listener and respect the people you work with even when you
disagree with them on important issues. Even PhDs wont be promoted if
they cant get along well with others!
I do not recommend that you work for EPA unless you are first and
foremost an "environmentalist". You will be frustrated more often but it
will pay off in the end. Unfortunately we have plenty of people who work
here who treat this civil service career as just a way to get a
paycheck. All of our top management is appointed by the President so
your work is extremely difficult when management does not have the same
agenda you do. You need stress relief skills and must be able to deal
with difficult people almost every day. You have to use your head and
heart to be happy in the environmental protection field. |
 ►Don
Taylor
(Click On picture to enlarge) |
■ Title-Chief
Information Officer
■ Employer-Perdue Farms Inc.
■ Major-BA in History/Math
■ Year of Graduation-1973
■ Graduate School Major-MBA was from Northwestern
State University. |
I have been working in
Technology for over 30 years. 10 in the Oil and Gas Industry( with
Dresser Industries, Occidental Petroleum and Armco Steel) and 23 in the
Food Business with Perdue. I have been the Chief Information Officer at
Perdue for 12 years. I worked my way through college picking up valuable
experience as I earned my degree. Gaining real life work experience
while earning your degree helps develop your skills and value to
potential employers. Earning experience through Co-op or internship
programs or part time
employment in your chosen career will add important experience to your
resume.
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