Sam's Job Search

Since Thanksgiving, I've been busy job hunting. Luckily, mathematics education PhD's are in high demand... there were over 70 academic postings this year! To put that in perspective, there are only about 50-60 PhDs awarded in mathematics education each year. So this allowed me to be pretty picky in where I applied. I only aimed for 3 highly regarded programs that have strong math ed programs and high research emphases --- the University of Missouri, the University of Delaware, and the University of Georgia. (I was also lucky enough to have the option of staying at Michigan State for another year or two, if my search turned up dry.)

I was lucky enough to receive invitations to visit campus for job interviews from all three schools. I went out to Columbia, MO, in early December and followed that up by heading right out the next day to Athens, GA. (Delaware, because of their job search schedule, wouldn't have come until January.) The visit to Missouri was a wonderful experience -- I met great people there and learned a lot of positive things about the department and the university. It also had that unquantifiable feeling that it could be my professional home.

My luck continued because, just a few days after Chelsea and I determined that Missouri was definitely our first choice of schools, Missouri called to make an offer. A few days later, we had worked out the details and I accepted the job.

So as of August 2012, I'll be a Missouri Tiger!

We're excited, too, because my contract is only for 9 months, which means we'll be able to come back to Michigan to see family for extended periods of time during winter break and summer break. (And in between it's only a 9-hour drive or a 1-and-a-half hour flight from Michigan to Missouri.)

Here's a picture of some of my future colleagues: