Alumni Jerry McNerney penned an article "What’s it Like for a Mathematician to Run for Congress?" in the June/July 2023  Issue of the Notice of the AMS

McNerney received a PhD in Mathematics from UNM in 1981 under the direction of the late Emeritus Professor and twice Department Chair Alex Stone.  McNerney, an Albuquerque native, is an American businessman, politician, and  the  U.S. representative for California's 9th congressional district (the only member of congress with a PhD in Mathematics, and the second in history) from 2007 until January 2023. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district, numbered as the 11th district until 2013, was based in Stockton and included parts of San Joaquin County, East Contra Costa County, and southern Sacramento County.  McNerney did not run for reelection in 2022.

In the article McNerney writes: 

"My academic math background is differential geometry. I earned a PhD from the University of New Mexico in 1981. Studying math as a graduate student while starting a family was one of the most joyous periods of my life. Any mathematician loves an intellectual challenge that involves understanding and unlocking secrets of our universe.

Politics, on the other hand, involves a different set of interests, skills, and ambitions than mathematics. It’s true that politicians must learn a great deal about the world around them, but being a successful politician in a democracy is more about communicating, relationship building, and projecting a self-image that appeals to a broad spectrum of the electorate. You need to be sociable, and you have to be obsessed about the job to be successful."