Posted on November 10, 2020 by Wendy Frost
Tyler Mathews is a graduate student pursuing a master’s in economics with a concentration in business data analytics and forecasting.
Recommended by faculty member Ron Sweet, MBA ’91, he is a member of the college’s Investment Society. Mathews shares personal insights with us as part of this week’s Roadrunner Spotlight.
Favorite Class
I really enjoy Mathematical Economics because it challenges you to go beyond the conceptual social science aspects of economics and understand more about how numbers like GDP are actually calculated.
Favorite Professor
Ron Sweet - I’ve never taken a formal class with him, but he’s already gone out of his way multiple times to help me understand the world of finance and career paths that I can take after graduation. I always feel like I walk away smarter after having a conversation with Professor Sweet.
How has COVID affected your studies or you personally this semester?
I find that learning new, technical concepts online is significantly more challenging than if I were in a classroom with a live professor. I also miss having natural, organic conversations and study sessions with my peers. I’m so thankful that we live in an age where technology is able to provide us the ability to learn from a distance, but I am personally eager to get back to campus.
What have you learned most from your program thus far?
I’ve learned that although I’ve taken several years away from school, returning to classes can be successful if you know what you are looking for, ask for help when you need it and work really hard.
Any organizations or activities that you’ve been involved with at UTSA?
I am involved with the [college’s] Investment Society to help learn more about the concepts and vocabulary of the finance world. We hold weekly meetings to discuss business, finance and economic topics. I am also currently winning the Marketwatch stock challenge.
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
Other than my normal study materials, I am reading “The Black Swan” by Nassem Nicolas Taleb, “When Genius Failed” by Roger Lowenstein, “Naked Statistics” by Charles Wheelan and “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham.
Professional Work Experience
For the last 10 years, I have worked in various IT capacities at the University of Texas at Austin. I started in IT support and made my way through business analysis, process engineering, project management and product management. I now lead a team of software engineers in an effort to improve and modernize the way the university conducts business.
What are your future career plans?
I have really enjoyed working in IT, but economics, finance and business have always fascinated me. I would like to work in financial investments or research, understanding better how the economy responds to events and how that is realized in the markets. I have a special interest in leveraging quantitative and coding methods to develop high-frequency trading algorithms.
— Wendy Frost
