![\"Johnathan](\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/files\/2016\/08\/in-post-300x179.jpg\")
Johnathan\u2019s case is made more exceptional by the fact that he did not apply for a job at Google, but sort of stumbled into its recruitment process.<\/p>\n
An Albany, Ore. Native, Johnathan says he has been passionate about mathematics and programming since the fourth grade. Enthusiastically involved in robotics research in OSU\u2019s School of Engineering from his high school days, Johnathan made up his mind to pursue a Ph.D. in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University.<\/p>\n
But one day in the summer of 2015 changed his plans for life after graduation.<\/p>\n
Johnathan, who is an avid and frequent programmer, was doing a programming-related search when a black box with white text popped up with the question, \u201cWould you like a challenge?\u201d Thinking it was a game, Johnathan hit \u2018yes.\u2019 Thus began the gradual unfolding of the Google recruitment dragnet.<\/p>\n
Johnathan eventually realized he was being evaluated as a potential hire by Google. He faced off a series of programming challenges of varying levels of difficulty over a 10-day period.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was able to select mathematical challenges and I have a solid knowledge of programming. So between the two, I was able to do well at the challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
Confronted by one of the most difficult problems in his set of programming challenges, Johnathan was able to solve it rapidly. A recruiter contacted him shortly after that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would have probably been difficult for a computer science major. But it was a basic math problem, which I completed in 21 minutes and sent it off,\u201d said Johnathan.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As Google is wont to do with job candidates, Johnathan went through onsite interviews at Googleplex as well as two phone interviews before receiving an enthusiastic job offer.<\/p>\n
When asked if certain mathematics courses at OSU played a role in his success, Jonathan responded, \u201cI am very glad that I had computational number theory. Problems in that area would repeatedly show up in the online challenges as well as in the interviews.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mathematics also played a vital role in Johnathan\u2019s undergraduate research career. He conducted controls research for legged robots and was part of a team that developed software for the multi-university ATRIAS<\/a> robot project. As the only math major in the robotics lab, Johnathan realized he had unique strengths in a roomful of mechanical engineers.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime something math-related would come up, I knew what I was doing. Computational number theory, modular arithmetic, multivariable calculus, differential equations and linear algebra\u2014all of them helped me write most of the software that runs the robot and in controls and optimization research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnathan notes that his interests in mathematics, robotics and programming dovetailed in very rewarding and meaningful ways as an undergraduate as well as helped him succeed in his job interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn undergraduate degree in math is a foundation to work on other stuff. You can either go to graduate school or you find another field that relies on math and you get to be the math person on the team. It is so useful in so many fields,\u201d added Johnathan.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
His parting advice for incoming mathematics majors: Do research.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that math majors are not as essentially involved in as they should be is research. It is hard for an undergraduate to find a research topic in math,\u201d said Johnathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut look beyond math. For instance, in an area like robotics, math undergraduates can jump in and make significant research contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n