George Nasr

Majors: Computer Science, Mathematics

What kinds of opportunities have you found in the Computer Science program? 

My impression of the department is that the professors very much care for your success and want you to learn and understand the material, but they’re not going to babysit you. They want the student to be fully responsible for there own work, as being a self-starter and being able to follow through on an assignment is extremely important to being a computer scientist. By far, I feel my initiative to start projects and ask questions when I didn’t understand concepts has been why I’ve done well so far.

Side projects, and the desire to work on stuff just for fun, is really important. It’s the reason I know I picked the right major. One of the greatest things about CLU is how available the staff has been for me. I always feel bad about “bothering” them about my side projects I do for fun, but a common response I’ve gotten, from more then one professor, has been “If the door is open, I’m in office hours”, inviting me to come in and ask about questions I have, even when I’m not in a class with said professor.

I also managed to land an internship early second semester of my sophomore year with a company called Spirent. They do a lot of network testing, and my main job was to test the software to be used on the testing cards (yes, I tested the testing equipment). I would say my experience with the Computer Science department at CLU very well prepared me, especially since the used a different programming language but I was still able to catch on thanks to my strong programming background.

What has inspired you at Cal Lutheran?

Spheres Shading Project

Being a Mathematics and Computer Science double Major, I am simply inspired by the idea that I can take a mathematical concept (be it complex or simple) and try to use my programming experience to either simulate or calculate my topic of interest. I think the biggest inspiration I’ve received from a class here at CLU was Computer Graphics with Dr. Reinhart. In the class, we utilized some Linear Algebra tricks to perform some pretty cool graphical manipulations. For example, my favorite two topics were rotating cubes and performing lighting effects on a sphere. The math and programming behind them required some amount of time and patience, but it was very worth while.

Besides that, almost every Math class I’ve taken has given me most of my project ideas. That’s really my motive for wanting to program, asking “mathy” questions and wanting to see what the power of Computer Science can do.

What has surprised you about your experience?

I am really impressed with all the help I’ve gotten from the faculty at Cal Lutheran. They are very helpful and have been very inspiring to me. They have helped me whether I didn’t understand a concept in class, or if I just wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the material by exploring concepts not covered in class.

What’s next for you?

I am a double major, in Mathematics and Computer Science. While I love Computer Science and programming, my interests lie in learning more about Mathematics. So I plan to go to Graduate School in Mathematics, and while I am unsure of what I truly want to do, I am very interested in using programming as a tool to do some very complicated mathematical concepts. Well, that’s not entirely true – sometimes the easier ideas are fun and overly rewarding.

Su Ji Hong

Majors: Mathematics, Physics

Su Ji Hong, a mathematics and physics major from Jeju, South Korea, created mathematical models to describe the queuing system of Cal Lutheran’s Centrum Cafe.

What did you learn from your research project?

According to my model, just by having the menu available or decreasing the service time by five seconds can reduce the queue time significantly. However, with Ullman Commons opening, the rate I obtained during summer no longer accurately describes the Centrum. Also this was my first research experience.

What was it like doing the project?

In the beginning, I still was not sure what research is like and was not sure if this was the path I want to take. This summer research experience was definitely an eye-opening experience that got me committed to a goal of going to graduate school.

What has your experience at Cal Lutheran been like?

The faculty at Cal Lutheran really take an interest in students’ performances and their interest in their fields. They were always open to talk to me about any questions I have about the academics, graduate schools, and possible jobs I could apply to.

Also, since the first time I was on campus, everyone was very friendly. They were willing to help me when I was very confused on my first day and Cal Lutheran students were willing to help local high school students to the correct room when the math club had free calculus tutoring session for local high school students.

What’s it like being a double-major?

I came in as a math major but added a second major, physics, at the end of my first year. I had an easier time managing both majors compared to other people since the lower division requirements for both majors were very similar.

I’ve tried to take at least one upper division math class and one upper division physics class each semester since fall semester of sophomore year. Having a deep understanding of math helped me a lot in upper division physics classes.

What are your post-graduation goals?

My goal after graduation is to go to a math graduate school and become a professor one day.

Victoria Butsky

Majors: Economics, Mathematics

My name is Victoria Butsky. I am from San Jose, California, and I am a sophomore.

What has your student experience been like?

My experience with the math department has been nothing but positive. The classes have been very interactive and focused on the critical thinking and beauty behind math. Dr. Brown was very supportive and helped me figure out where my passions are.

The economics department at Cal Lutheran has many different opportunities and ways to get involved. From the economics club to CERF, there is plenty to do. Dr. Hamilton has helped me really get immersed in the field and learn what it is all about.

How has your double major helped you?

By having a solid math background, I know how to go more in depth into economic concepts. What I’m learning in class becomes more dynamic and more complex (in the best way possible) because I know more of what lies ahead. By knowing these practical applications in mathematics, it makes both majors more fun and more in depth. These two topics work really well together and accentuate the best qualities in each field.

What made you fall in love with Cal Lutheran?

The first thing that made me fall in love with Cal Lutheran was the willingness of the faculty to help out. I took advantage of the office hours offered for my DifEq class and by getting extra help, I was able to form connections with faculty that lead me down a path I never could have imagined. From adding a math minor for fun, I ended up completely changing my majors and career path. Dr. Brown from the math department referred me to Dr. Hamilton from the economics department and I was able to get involved with CERF.

What surprised you most about Cal Lutheran?

What surprised me about Cal Lutheran was the sheer amount of opportunities that are available to you if you seek them out. You can get ahead and take on much more than bigger schools. Professors know you by name and are there for you if you just ask. I did not anticipate how useful and welcoming this would be.

What are your post-graduation plans?

After graduation, I want to go to grad school for economics and do research.