About Me

Email:  erikkatzen@tamu.edu

Class Standing:  5th year senior

Why am I taking this class: Besides the fact it is required under one of the computer engineering tracks, I find the interaction among humans and computers extremely fascinating. The overall concept of developing systems that appeal to human utilization is intriguing.

What experience do I bring to this class:  I am double majoring in mathematics along with computer engineering. I completed the USRG at Texas A&M with Dr. Dos Reis working on his computer algebra system. However, my interests have transitioned into business recently. I just completed a summer internship with Goldman Sachs in Houston.

What are your professional life goals:  My plan involves acquiring a full time job with a prestigious strategic consulting firm. From that point, I want to specialize in management consulting for technology firms.

What are your personal life goals: Outside of my career, I want to continue my hobbies of sand volleyball, tennis, hunting, fishing, archery, and weight training. Also, I want to start an awesome family at some point down the line.

What do you want to do after graduation:  I would prefer to enter the consulting business at a firm such as BCG, Bain, or McKinsey. If I was able to work in Texas, that would be even better.

What do you except to be doing in 10 years:  I plan to attend a lucrative MBA program after pursuing a job for several years. Following my MBA, my ideal job would be at a venture capitalist firm that invests in entrepreneurial and upcoming technological ideas.

What do you think will be the net biggest technological advancement in computer science:  I imagine automated personal transportation services. This new innovation would involve hoping into my car, plugging my smart phone in, running the app, and selecting a destination. Not only could I have two free hands and one free mind while my car takes me to my destination, but also my car could drop me off, and find a parking spot on its own. The days of $20 vallet are over.

If you could travel back in time, who would you like to meet and why:  I would like to meet Carl Gauss. Not only was he the undisputed greatest mathematician of all time, but also, I would be able to delineate the type of society that I currently live in. Then, I could proceed to invite him into discussions about which direction mathematics and our society are traversing down.

Describe your favorite shoes:  I love my Margaritaville boat shoes. First, they are significantly better than any type of generic Sperry. Second, any time I put them on, it reminds me of deep sea fishing with nothing to worry about except for enjoying the simplicity of life.

If you could be fluent in any foreign language, which one would it be:  I would want to learn Italian. First, Italians are probably the coolest Europeans out there, even though they can't pay off their debt. Second, Italians just sound articulate when they speak. I could see myself retiring in Italy.

Interesting fact/story:  I picked up tennis my Freshman year of high school. By the time I was a Sophomore, the ex-pro I trained with gave me an ultimatum. He said that if I quit basketball, and devoted the same amount of time I spent on the basketball court to tennis, then he could practically guarantee me that I could earn a Division I scholarship within the next year. I declined and decided to continue playing basketball and tennis concurrently. My senior year, our basketball team went 33-3, and I still made it to the tennis state championship as well.