News

Two of Dr. Sánchez-Muñiz’ students, Rosanny De Leon and Michelle Madera, presented their research at the CUNY Celebration of Undergraduate Research on May 26, 2026, hosted at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Michelle presented findings on permafrost thaw under varying warming scenarios using a Stefan based conceptual model and site specific data from Fairbanks, Alaska. Rosanny shared her work on the model validation of Dr. María Sánchez's permafrost thaw conceptual energy model with the GIPL model, using real-world data from sites in Alaska.

Both of their projects were supported by the Department’s Rich Summer Research Internship.

Michelle won an award of Best Presentation from the CUNY Celebration!

Congratulations to both Rosanny and Michelle!

Tabitha Ramirez received a B.S. in Math from CCNY in 2024 and an M.S. in Math in 2026. Now she will continue her CUNY Math journey at the CUNY Graduate Center where she will commence her studies for a Ph.D. in Fall 2026!

Congratulations, Tabitha!

Read more about Tabitha's story below in her own words:

When I was younger, I never thought I would become a mathematician. In fact I'm pretty sure I didn't even know what a mathematician was as a kid. Before high school, math was my least favorite subject. I even failed math in 7th grade and wasn't a great student. Instead, I had a passion for the sciences. Surprisingly, when I got to high school, I improved academically, and that passion for the sciences evolved into a love for mathematics. Suddenly, most of my free time was spent coming up with and solving fun math problems. I constantly wanted to learn more about math so, I looked to college with excitement over being able to study mathematics more formally. Graduating top of my class, my teachers pressured me to go to an Ivy. However, when financial support didn’t materialize, I decided to take CCNY’s offer over theirs, since I was offered a scholarship. To this day I am incredibly grateful for that decision.

My life throughout college was filled with many adversities. A pandemic came, I was displaced, pets and loved ones passed on, family members fell ill, and I had to learn to manage ADHD. Ultimately, amidst all the chaos, one thing that provided a sense of stability was the community here at CCNY. The friends I made here supported me through every struggle. Whether I was studying for exams with Jack, Kadar, Aris, and Aidan A, or unwinding with Victor, Josh, Aidan J, Nadya, Ifeanyi, Eliza, and Alex, the time spent with the friends I made here was the true bedrock of my success. The support of my professors also proved to be essential to my success. When challenges arose they were always willing to accommodate and they provided me with opportunities which helped me develop the skills to do math research. Thanks to a friend and alumni connecting me, I joined Professor Sormani’s Manifold Learning Team where I learned the basics of math research. Then thanks to Professor Chinta’s advice, I got to participate in the RAMMP program, where my work with Professor Fei resulted in a publication.

CCNY graduate student Haider Riaz's engagement with foundational topics in physics and philosophy led him to recognize the central role of rigorous mathematical structures in these fields. This, in turn, led him to our Master's program where he completed his degree in Spring 2026.

Congratulations, Haider!

Read below, as he reflects on his time in our program and what lies next in his journey!

My motivation to do a graduate degree in mathematics happened, of all places, in a philosophy seminar. The seminar in question was on philosophy of physics, and included topics in the foundations of quantum theory and quantum field theory. As fascinated as I was with the material we were studying, I struggled with the mathematical formalism that accompanied the theories. It dawned on me that to properly pursue my intellectual interests, I needed to strengthen my background in math. After graduating from my MA program and working in the city for a few years, I decided to enroll in the math master's program at CCNY to do just that.

The math program at CCNY is quite flexible and provides students with research, independent study, and funding opportunities. Thanks to the Rich Scholarship, I was able to work on a research project in dynamical systems theory with Prof. Kucherenko. I also completed an independent study with Prof. Chatterjee on stochastic processes. Among the courses that I took, I particularly enjoyed stochastic calculus and modern algebra, both taught by Dr. Amzallag. In addition, I had a great deal of fun doing a presentation on Lie groups and Lie algebras (a topic close to my heart) for Dr. Amarasingham's linear algebra class. Lastly, my time at CCNY was particularly memorable thanks to my classmates, who were always there to help me. As for my future plans, I will be taking a break before pursuing further graduate studies in physics. In the meantime, I plan to continue working with Prof. Kucherenko on my research project and learning new math along the way.

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.

The Mathematics Department at The City College of New York is pleased to announce that Siobhán O'Connor, CCNY mathematics instructor and a recent CUNY Graduate Center Ph.D. graduate, has been selected as one of the two recipients of the 2025/26 Best Dissertation Award in Mathematics.

Siobhán O'Connor successfully defended her thesis on Algorithmic Problems in Automorphic Orbits of Free Groups in April 2026. The thesis was completed under the guidance of her advisor, Prof. Vladimir Shpilrain.