Meet the alumnus - Harrison Burton
Meet Harrison Burton, a Queen Mary MSci Mathematics graduate who's putting his analytical skills to great use. In this interview, Harrison reflects on his time at university and the lasting impact of his mathematical education on his career.
What programme did you study and why did you choose to study it?
I originally enrolled on a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics but changed my course and graduated with a MSci in Mathematics.
Why did you choose to study at Queen Mary?
A combination of factors - I had a strong preference for a London based university and really liked Queen Mary when I visited; I liked the feel the campus, the on-site accommodation and the Penrose-tiled maths building stood out to me!
What did you most enjoy about your degree?
Lots of things! One thing that jumps out is that we had a very active MathSoc who kindly organised some excellent trips (to Snowden in Wales and to Germany).
What are you proud of from your experience at Queen Mary?
At the end of my second year, I was one of ten students from across different schools at Queen Mary who got to spend a summer at Kings College Cambridge, spending the time on an independent research project.
Which modules did you enjoy the most and were there any academics that had a strong influence on shaping your time and studies here?
Module-wise, there were a couple in each year but if I had to choose I would say:
- First year - Mathematical Structures with Prof. Peter Cameron.
- Second year - Algebraic Structures I with Prof. Leonard Soicher.
- Third Year - Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme with Dr. Matthew Fayers and Dr. Behrang Noohi (definitely convinced me that school teaching wasn't for me yet!).
- Fourth Year - Sets and Logic with Prof. Thomas Mueller (an independent study module that allowed me to get a grounding in Set Theory).
The lecturers mentioned above all had a strong, positive influence on me; I enjoyed their modules and enjoyed their teaching style. The other lecturer who I always like to mention is Dr. John Bray; he taught me some really difficult mathematics and I learnt a lot from him.
What did you learn during your studies, how did that relate to your professional experience after you graduated?
I learnt a lot and the umbrella that a lot of it falls under is "abstraction"; the ability to synthesise a lot of information, generalise it and find patterns / common themes is a skill that I use every day. This influences the obvious parts of my job (e.g. Data analysis, modelling, etc.) but also the less-obvious parts (e.g. Presentations).
What was especially helpful? Was there anything you would have liked to learn in view of your job(s)?
I crammed a lot into my degree but in view of recent technological movements, I would have loved the opportunity to take a couple of modules on Artificial Intelligence; perhaps a semi-advanced module on Linear Algebra for AI and then a more detailed one on Deep Learning and AI applications.
What professional career did you pursue after graduating from QMUL, and what is your current position?
I joined one of the Big-4 consultancy companies - originally in a Technology team but I now site in the AI and Modelling team; I spend my timing helping various clients with their model and AI related risks.
What's one piece of advice you'd offer to someone considering studying your programme at Queen Mary?
Focus on breadth; it's the combination of skills, not the depth of one in particular, that sets you apart.