Mathematics in industry: The job market of the future. 1994 SIAM Forum final report

The 1994 SIAM Forum examined applied mathematics in industry with a particular focus on the ingredients for a successful career. The presentations were a mix of panel discussions and individual speakers. In their presentations and discussions, members of four different panels explored: the experiences of recent graduates whose first job was in industry; the hiring process from the point of view of managers; the place of mathematics and of mathematicians in smaller firms; the insights of industrial applied mathematicians whose terminal degree is not in mathematics. Another view of careers in business, industry, and government was provided by a presentation of preliminary data from SIAM`s Mathematics in Industry (MII) project. Finally, techniques for building bridges from academia to industry were described by several experienced speakers. In spite of the diverse backgrounds of the Forum`s panelists and speakers, the central ideas they presented were strikingly similar. These common themes are outlined here. The Forum program is appended to this report