Ph.D. 2017Career: Model Validation Analyst at Regions Bank, Birmingham, AL

Advisors: Hassan Fathallah

I began taking mathematics courses at the University of Alabama at Birmingham following college graduation with the intention of earning an M.S. in Math Education; however, I soon redirected my degree to an M.S. in Mathematics because I enjoyed the coursework, faculty, and students so much. As a doctoral student, I developed and implemented a mathematical model of brain tumor growth using C++ programming, Matlab, and the Alabama Supercomputer. With the expert guidance of my advisor Dr. Hassan Fathallah, I published four original papers on the model that highlight the potential of computational trials as predictive precursors to clinical trials.

My experience developing and testing a model at UAB has helped me immensely in my new career as a model validation analyst at Regions Bank, where I have the pleasure working alongside UAB math graduates Terrence Muthoka (Ph.D. 2014) and Brandon Barry (Ph.D. 2015). My job at Regions includes reading technical documentation of financial models, analyzing, and testing new financial models, learning new programming skills (Python and R), and working with divisions across the bank on the discovery and identification of new financial models and tools. I have also partnered with other associates on my team to develop the Regions Analytics Institute, an internal training platform designed to help Regions better leverage its human expertise and resources by offering biannual courses in the quantitative space.