After her graduation from Hunter College, Rees was immediately offered a job as a professor which she declined. Instead, she opted to become a high school teacher at Hunter High School. Her decision was based on the fact she did not feel knowledgeable enough to be teaching at the college level so soon after her own graduation. She worked at Hunter High School as an assistant teacher while also attending
Teachers College Columbia University for her master's degree. After receiving her degree from Colombia University, Rees became an assistant professor at Hunter College in 1925, taking a leave of absence from 1929-1932 to get her PHD from the
University of Chicago. In 1940, she was promoted to Associate Professor at Hunter College. Other positions she held include: • 1947: She became an
ACM Council member. • 1945–51: Head of Mathematics branch at the
Office of Naval Research. • 1952–53: Deputy Science Director for the Office of Naval Research. • 1953–61: Rees returned to Hunter College where she became the Dean of Faculty. • 1961–67: Full Professor and First Dean of Graduate Studies at
City University of New York • 1964–70: Member, U.S.
National Science Board • 1967–69: Provost of the Graduate School and University Center at
CUNY. • 1969–72: Founding president (and, in 1972, first president emerita) of the Graduate School and University Center at
CUNY • 1971: First female president of the
AAAS, and first female chair, U.S.
Council of Graduate Schools == Research ==