- Name: Skye Hartley
- Undergraduate school: University of Arkansas at Little Rock (2004)
- Position: Environmental Scientist
- Company: Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, LLC
- Industry Sector: Science
What he does:
- Skye is an Environmental Scientist for the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH). He travels to cities throughout the country providing air monitoring/sampling for customers that use, transport, store or dispose of chemicals. Prior to his graduation, he worked as a health and safety engineer.
Math on the job:
- Many of Skye’s colleagues have math backgrounds, and they use their knowledge of mathematics daily. They calculate volumes of large (30,000 gallons+) containers. The use air plume modeling to calculate the concentration of chemicals downwind of a source. They provide statistical support for findings/monitor readings.
Skye's background:
- Skye graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2004 with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Environmental Science. Skye took extra time to finish his degree because he also held several jobs. For five years, he worked as an environmental health and safety engineer for an aerospace company. His job consisted of keeping this company in check with the OSHA, EPA, and DOT regulations. Through this position, he gained various certifications and experience; however, “none of these equal the strength of an undergraduate degree.”
Advice for students:
- “It takes a lot of work, but the payoff is there in the end. A math degree can be used almost anywhere. Most companies want people with a math and/or science degree for statistical work, quality control, forecast calculations, algorithm design, etc. If you do choose math, keep patient, study hard, be persistent, and use the math lab when available.”