M.S. student Jonathan Bugbee accepted to Math PhD program at CUNY Graduate Center
June 19, 2026
Jonathan Bugbee started taking our undergraduate Advanced Calculus classes for fun after work in 2023. Three years later, he has a Master's in Math and will soon start PhD studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Congratulations, Jonathan!
Read about Jonathan's journey below in his own words.
You do not need to know from a young age that you want to go into academia. You are not already “over the hill” mathematically at age 24.
When I was getting my bachelor’s degree, I had no ambitions for graduate school. After working in fin-tech for 4 years, I decided to apply to the master’s program at CCNY because I was bored. I missed learning math, had the free time to do so, and I knew that the best way for me to actually learn would be a classroom setting. CCNY offered classes in the late afternoon and evening, which meant I could keep working while pursuing my hobby.
As I started taking more classes, I met a supportive and dedicated community of both professors and students. Being exposed to graduate level content, I was starting to see the mathematics I had been hoping to master for a long time. I was finally understanding what it means to be a mathematician.
Listing every member of CCNY’s faculty and staff that had a positive impact on me would take too long, but I have to thank Dr. Michael Shub, Dr. Pat Hooper, Dr. Tamara Kucherenko, and Dr. Weilin Li in particular for their openness about what it would take for me to find success as a mathematician and their encouragement to pursue the academic path.
What really sealed the deal for me was participating in the Rich Summer Research Internship under the guidance of Dr. Kucherenko. We studied ergodic theory and topological dynamics of shift spaces. The project showed me how creative and rewarding mathematics research is. I made the final decision at the end of that summer to apply for a PhD. This meant quitting my job and completely changing the trajectory of my life, towards something I would have never considered just 3 years ago.
The support and guidance of CCNY’s faculty was invaluable during the application process, and I am excited to say that I will be attending the Mathematics PhD Program at the CUNY Graduate Center.
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