He Zhang

If I did not come to Commerce, I would have never known how wonderful my future world would be.

In 2014, I reported to A&M-Commerce with my dreams and two heavy suitcases. This was my first time stepping on land in the United States. An unfamiliar city, an unfamiliar environment, and everything unfamiliar made me nervous, but the Department of Mathematics was always like my home.

When I first arrived at the Department of Mathematics, I knew financial support was most important. Sufficient funding can ensure students study and do scientific research, and this target has been achieved by the Department of Mathematics. Dr. Wang introduced how to apply in detail for the TA position as well as the relevant application requirements of the university.

After his introduction, he wrote down the key application steps on a piece of paper for me to use as a reference. For average students, it may not be necessary, but for international students like me this “cheat sheet” was really helpful!

I took 10 courses in total at A&M-Commerce. I'd like to mention two: Numerical Analysis and Image Processing. They are taught by Dr. Sirakov. I have to say I was so lucky to join his classes because the reason that I was accepted by my Ph.D. program and my current company is that I have learned image processing and numerical analysis. Numerical Analysis is the base of numerical simulation, which is very popular in engineering and research fields. Image processing, no doubt, is a powerful technique to be applied in computer science, AI, and visualization. Without both of his classes, I would have had no chance to start my Ph.D. program and ensure I had a job.

My current job is doing research in petroleum engineering. My dream is to one day become a scientist like Dr Sirakov.

The Department of Mathematics is more like a big family. The teachers are enthusiastic and easy to get along with. Although Dr. Celik had fixed office hours, his office was always open, and students could get his help at any time. Dr. Webster is the boss for all graduate assistants (GAs), but she always treats GAs nicely (I was a GA, too). She organizes a big party each year. All faculty and GAs are invited to her house. If you want to drive there for the party, a map made by hand by her is provided.

Although I had already graduated from A&M-Commerce, Dr. Ou still patiently taught me to solve math problems. To me, the Department of Mathematics at A&M-Commerce is the location where my dreams started. It is like my home which encourages me to keep moving forward.