Laying a foundation

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Samantha Wallis’s enthusiasm for statistics is matched only by her longtime passion for visual arts. As she considers her path forward after graduating with a degree in mathematics, Wallis thinks about how to meld her two interests into a single career. While she hasn’t landed on a definitive answer, she has a strong hunch where she will go next.

Lately, Wallis has taken advantage of the brief pauses between classes and assignments to research three-year graduate programs in architecture. Several summers ago, she took a course in architectural theory, history, and design that planted a seed of interest in the field. “I always loved the creative elements of architecture, but I have increasingly realized that architecture requires more than just creativity,” she reflected. “As an architect, you can’t just rely on engineers to consider the technical elements of structure and dimension. That’s where my interest in math comes in.” 

Wallis recently spoke with an architect who affirmed her decision to study mathematics. “She explained that if every student in a master’s program enrolled with an undergraduate degree in architecture, everyone would bring one way of thinking to the table,” said Wallis. “I’m confident that even though not everything I’m studying at the Faculty of Mathematics is directly related to architecture, I’m laying a foundation for the future. When you have a degree in math, you can expand beyond the traditional bounds of the field.”

Read more about Samantha's undergraduate experience