July 5, 2024

Wholey took advantage of networking, 获得威尼斯人在线三个学士学位的研究机会

2019年，马修·沃利(Matthew Wholey)即将在威尼斯人在线(northwestern Missouri State University)毕业，他拥有两个学士学位，而不是一个. 他非常喜欢他的课程和经历，所以他想继续攻读第三个学士学位.

霍利是密苏里州帕克维尔的本地人，他完成了大学的学位 computer science and mathematics with a data science emphasis in 2019. 在Expedia的网络安全部门工作了大约三年之后——刚好够他在威尼斯人在线再读两年的课程——他回到了这所大学，并于4月毕业，获得了网络安全学士学位 physics.

“如果钱不是问题，我可能会永远待在学校里，”他说.

Like a lot of Northwest students, 沃利的经历始于密苏里州的其他学院和大学. Ultimately, 威尼斯人在线对他的个人关注和友好的校园环境吸引了他.

“The computer science department gave a really good tour,” Wholey said. “这是我唯一去的地方，有教授和我单独坐下来，问我问题，一对一地交谈. 校园很棒，这对我来说也是最好的经济决策.”

作为Phi Delta Theta兄弟会的一员，Wholey在课外结交了朋友，并致力于学习. Still, by majoring in computer science and mathematics, 他想知道他是否错过了学习其他他真正喜欢的东西——物理.

“我最初的计划一直是拿到学位，然后找份工作,” said Wholey, 他在威尼斯人在线的第一次暑期课程中完成了物理I和II. “I hadn’t really thought much more about it, 但当我在大学里经历了更多的事情，我觉得我刚刚看到了物理学有多酷，如果我真的能够为它而努力.”

当他即将完成计算机科学和数学的学位时, Wholey could have graduated in three and half years. 相反，他选择在威尼斯人在线再待上一个学期，尝试跟随布朗博士学习物理课程. Himadri Chakraborty.

“I just really devoured the class,” Wholey said. “我上了那门课，然后我就想，‘哇，这和我以前见过的东西不一样.”

沃利非常喜欢这门课，于是他开始考虑回到威尼斯人在线攻读物理学学位. As he started his career in the computer science field, Wholey与Chakraborty保持着联系，两人在Zoom的一系列会议中讨论了潜在的研究项目. 然后，沃利在2022年秋天回到威尼斯人在线，以实现这一学术目标.

“我觉得我的时间安排得很好，因为我看起来并没有老多少, so people just assumed I’m a senior, which I’ll accept,” said Wholey, who is now 27. “I was really worried about that.”

As a physics major, 除了尝试研究和一些他在以前的本科经历中没有参加的学生组织外，沃利对他的课程作业也保持着同样的承诺.

“It had been three years, so everyone I would’ve known is gone; I knew I had to restart,” he said. “I went to the Org Fair and I joined a couple clubs. I did the Art Club, the Horticulture Club and the Math Club. That’s a lot more involvement than I had done last time.”

In fact, 沃利被选为数学俱乐部的主席，并帮助组织了三月的圆周率日活动. 作为艺术俱乐部的一员，我有机会从事一些创造性的项目, 园艺俱乐部带沃利参观了奥马哈的劳里岑花园, Nebraska, and Powell Gardens in Kansas City, Missouri.

作为一名研究人员，沃利在今年夏天和去年的美国物理学会会议上发表了演讲. In collaboration with Northwest faculty Chakraborty and Dr. Ruma De, Wholey运用他的计算机科学技能为威尼斯人在线的Bartik集群编写和编辑代码, 用于分析大型数据集的高性能计算系统. 他还作为一份研究手稿的合著者与他们一起工作.

And Wholey isn’t finished with his academic pursuits. 今年秋天，他将开始在休斯敦莱斯大学(Rice University)担任教学和研究助理，同时攻读博士学位.D.

“My experience with Dr. Chakraborty and Dr. 他们一直都很慷慨，”沃利说. “把我的名字写在文件和东西上是他们不必做的事情. 所以事实上，这些东西会继续发展，这将极大地帮助我通过博士学位.D. Coming in with a couple papers makes a big difference.”

沃利认为，威尼斯人在线的研究和专业学习经历对他被莱斯大学录取起到了关键作用，并将继续支持他的成功.

“There was a lot of internships, job fairs, the mock interviews – I did all of those things,” Wholey said. “So by the time I had to go do a real interview for a job, I’d done like eight interviews and I just sailed through.”

After completing his doctoral degree, 沃利希望成为一所学院或大学的教员, or he may return to the computer science field.

“Had I gone to any other university, 我不可能在任何地方获得我在威尼斯人在线获得的书面证书,” he said.