Emily Ann Cimillo recently completed her second master’s degree at Florida Atlantic University. We are especially grateful to have Emily working in the Department of Mathematical Sciences as the Budget & Outreach Manager. Emily has been part of the team in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science for almost 18 years. She worked in the Dean’s office in her first year, joined the Mathematical Sciences Department the following year, and has been there since. Emily states, “Everyone in the department is part of my second family, and FAU, my second home. I am proud to be an FAU Alumnus for the second time. I earned my M.Ed. in the College of Education and now an M.S.T. in Mathematical Sciences. Earning my second master’s degree from my home department means the world to me.”
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Spring 2020 graduation ceremonies at FAU have been postponed. Emily decided to commemorate her graduation a bit differently this time. She expects to have a quiet celebration with her parents and celebrate with other family members using FaceTime.
Emily will continue in her current position as the Budget & Outreach Manager. She greatly enjoys working in the Mathematics Department and will continue with the department’s outreach programs for K-12 students. She hopes to someday teach a course on the college level while continuing in her current position.
When asked how or why she chose to pursue an MST in Mathematics at FAU, Emily states, “I have always loved math! My bachelor’s degree is in Mathematical Sciences/Teacher Ed (1993) from Kean University in NJ and taught for 9 years before coming to FAU. When I started my first graduate program in 2004, I felt that 11 years was just too long to remember content from my math courses, so I chose Instructional Technology through the College of Education instead and finished that degree in 2006. While continuing to work in the math department following graduation, we discussed recruiting math teachers for the M.S.T. program and then almost jokingly… I showed my transcript from my bachelor’s program. I was encouraged to apply, and did! Within days of my application being submitted, I found myself being admitted into the M.S.T. program. What I find amusing is that I thought 11 years between math programs were too long, so I started an additional 13 years later to begin my master’s in math instead! Still, it was my passion for learning math that pushed me into applying for this program, and I’m so happy to be completing it now. It seemed difficult at times but was so worthwhile. I can honestly say, that my family’s support played a major role in my completing this degree. Faculty and staff in my department were so supportive, too! In the future, and perhaps working with our faculty, I would love to consider getting involved in teacher training programs… There are so many resources for teaching mathematics.”
