Making maths more accessible to women
Erin has always been fascinated by how maths underpins everything around us, from technology to every day decisions.
Erin joined us at Cardiff University to study Mathematics because she loved the energy of the place when visiting for an Open Day.
Having already secured a graduate scheme with Boeing, Erin will be hoping to put everything she’s learned from her time at Cardiff University into practice.
Her goal is to make maths more accessible to women by shifting the perception that the subject is too challenging or intimidating, to one that focuses on how mathematics can solve real problems and be applied across a wide range of disciplines and interests.
“Together, we can open up opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender.”
Erin came to Cardiff University because she liked the energy of the place when she visited on Open Day.
Together, we can make maths more accessible to women
What inspired you to study Mathematics?
I’ve always been fascinated by how maths underpins everything around us, from technology to everyday decisions. For example, one of the modules we did this term was the mathematics of artificial intelligence – every advancement in technology fundamentally relies on maths. It’s challenging, but also offers endless possibilities.
Can you tell us about a memorable project you worked on?
We did a project on game theory where we could pick any problem in life and try and solve it using maths. Our team actually worked on a solution for winning The Hunger Games — whether you should go in and try and get tools in the cornucopia or if you should run away, based on what District you were from. It was such a fascinating exploration across completely different disciplines, maths and English literature, and most importantly, it was something we chose as a group to focus on. It was incredible to have that freedom to decide where to take our learning, and to collaborate to find something that united our individual interests.
What are your plans after completing your degree?
I’m on a graduate scheme with Boeing in Bristol, on the digital services and analytics team. It’s a six-month rotational scheme for two years, and my first rotation is in systems architecture.
What are your hopes for the future?
I believe together we can make maths more accessible to women. It’s a subject that’s often seen as challenging or intimidating, but by showing how it solves real problems and can be applied across all sorts of different disciplines and interests, we can change that. Together, we can open up opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender.
“Through Cardiff, I was able to do a placement year, working at the Walt Disney Company in London.”
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