Emerging College Majors Create New Venues for Mathematics

September 23, 2009

Math-related majors are "on the rise" according to a survey of up-and-coming degrees by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Of the five fields of study mentioned—service science, health informatics, public health, computational science, and sustainability—most require a familiarity with statistics, and the last two in particular call for a solid base in advanced mathematics.

Computational science has a vast array of applications, from meteorology to medicine to diaper production. This field "is sometimes confused with computer science," Robert E. Tuzun, chair of computational science at the State University of New York College at Brockport, explained to The Chronicle. "In computer science, the computer is the object of study . . . while in computational science, the computer is the tool." Members of this discipline use computer modeling to solve problems in many areas—to predict weather patterns, to simulate how new medicines will affect body chemistry, and to test the quality of consumer goods.

The discipline of sustainability sometimes borrows from a variety of preexisting majors, offering concentrations in environmental economics, green architecture, and business, as well as the science of sustainability. Programs in the field strive to be not merely "environmentally conscious" but also practical and applicable. "We didn't want to take an ivory-tower approach," said Michael Womersley, sustainability coordinator at Unity College, "We focused on jobs that are being hired for, now." This spring, NASA offered $6.4 million in grants to support climate-change education, hoping to encourage this nascent field of study.

The article demonstrated that, with the ongoing advances in technology and the difficulties that arise from an ever-growing world population, the need for mathematically-minded people is expanding as well.

Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, Aug. 31, 2009.