The Perfect Equation

Professor of Mathematics Chris Cosner was initially drawn to the U by Miami’s beaches and mild winters, but the icing on the cake was the tuition remission program, which enabled his three children to find their career paths.
Tuition Remission

The beach, palm trees, and mild winters of Miami were a far cry from College Station, Texas, where Chris Cosner started his academic career. The budding mathematics department at the University of Miami also made Cosner certain his move to Miami in 1982 would be a good one. “My former university was in a small town, and having grown up in San Diego and the Bay area, it was boring,” the professor of mathematics recalled. “The circumstances here were positive and Miami as a city was enticing—it felt like home.”

But, for Cosner, the icing on the cake was the tuition remission benefit offered as part of joining the University. He wanted to start a family and being able to send his future kids to college at little cost was a big draw. “At that time, I didn’t know what my kids would want to do, but this at least provided a feasible option at a great university,” Cosner said.

For his children, Chelsea, Zac, and Zoe, UM became the perfect fit for their interests after high school. “It turned out that Chelsea and Zoe wanted to go in the direction of medicine. Zac, on the other hand, was more of an outdoor type, so he was interested in environmental science,” said Cosner.

The tight-knit, community-oriented siblings were accepted into a variety of schools around the country—but none with the potential experiences offered at UM. “It worked out great and they all went into areas where UM is well represented. Their interests matched up well with the departmental strengths at UM.”

Between interning in Miller School of Medicine labs and studying abroad, Cosner’s children made the most of their undergraduate experience. Chelsea graduated in 2015 with a degree in neuroscience; Zac and Zoe, fraternal twins, graduated in 2017,  Zac with his degree in ecosystems science and Zoe with hers in biochemistry and math. Although the three followed separate paths since graduation, with Chelsea and Zoe in medical school and Zac promoting ecotourism in Florida, Cosner says they’re still close. “The kids hang out together from time to time and whenever they’re home. They’re really tight.”

Understanding the value of education, Cosner always hoped to send his children to a school that would help them reach their goals, and UM’s programs and tuition remission benefit proved to be the perfect equation. “I knew that UM was great when I got here and I knew that it was improving, so the chances of UM being able to provide a great education for my kids were only increasing with time.”

 

To learn more about tuition benefits, visit benefits.miami.edu.