News: page 15

Joseph Winter graduated from CCNY in 2019 with a M.S. in mathematics. He is now working as a data scientist with Moat!

Hear about it from Joseph himself!

I completed the Master’s program in the CCNY Department of Mathematics in the spring of 2019. After graduation, I did research with Professor Christian Wolf over the summer, where I honed some computer programming skills as a resident at the Recurse Center in the early fall, and then found a job as a Data Scientist at Moat.

Moat primarily does measurement and analytics for online/digital advertising. My specific team is research oriented: we try to discover and implement new methods for detecting ‘invalid traffic’ (which includes both benign bots and active fraud operations). A lot of the math that I make use of as a data science is statistics (ironically, a course I never took at CCNY!), but I think the range of graduate-level work in mathematics gave me the confidence to approach difficult technical questions.

Math in ad-tech is certainly not always the most sophisticated, but I think my research experience and coursework at City allows me to tackle more interesting problems and understand the tools of data science more deeply, ultimately making me better at my job. There a quite a few math people on my team at work: we read and share mathematical papers on a regular basis. One of my projects currently involves reconstructing continuous gestures made by mobile devices from discrete data, a project where I’ve applied both algebra (group theory) and analysis. I feel luck that even working in industry, I found a place where I can explore open-ended questions.

I came to CCNY more than decade after I finished my previous degrees in Art. In 2016/17, I took a few semesters of calculus along with linear algebra at Laguardia Community College, and all of a sudden I found myself in a mathematics graduate program! I love that the CCNY gives people from unconventional backgrounds a chance to dive into math. The affordability and evening-centric course schedule of the MS program are only outshined by its talented faculty. After spending a few weeks in a classroom with Professors Zajj Daugherty and Christian Wolf (with whom I worked for 2 and 4 semesters, respectively), I knew I was in the exact right place. Thank you for your wisdom, guidance, and encouragement.

This fall, I will start my Ph.D in math at the University of Illinois Chicago. I entered the masters program at City College thinking I wanted to do applied work; my motivation for studying math was to build a theoretical foundation to work in climate research. Under the guidance and support of the professors here, I became more interested in theoretical coursework, and decided to pursue a doctorate degree in math.

I have experienced both intellectual and personal growth while at CCNY; I attribute this to the wonderful people here. The student body is diverse in every sense, and I have become friends with people of exceptional backgrounds and varied interests. My perception of what mathematical research is and who can participate has changed for the better in my two years here.

There have been many people who helped me along the way. I am particularly thankful for: Jason Redman who has been a cheerleader and ally; Prof Wolf who has been nothing but enthusiastic and encouraging; Prof Daugherty who has been a great source of advice, both personal and for AWM; and Prof Hanson who helped spark my interest in probability theory, and who has been a kind and patient mentor through my application process and our remote independent study. I regret not being able to thank each of you in person.

Finishing my degree remotely has been a strange way to close this chapter, and this makes me think about how fundamental the community around school is to my academic journey. The flavor of math is different when you sit alone at a desk from when you sit in a room together with peers. With this in mind, I look forward to entering a new community, and I am excited to see in what directions UIC takes me.

My name is Abdoulaye Maiga, and I will be graduating during this Spring of 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in pure mathematics. My journey as an undergraduate student at CCNY began during the Fall of 2016. At the time, I was already very motivated to learn more about the topic that excited me the most since high school. Inspired by my cousin, who also studied mathematics, I became more and more interested in using mathematics to solve problems in related fields such as biology and physics.

Before even declaring my major, the department of mathematics already seemed to have adopted me as one of their own. I was very lucky to meet early in my education incredible people such as Dr. Michael Shub, Dr. Joseph Bak, Jason Redman, George Brathwaite, and everyone else that I did not mention who informed me about various opportunities I could get if I was able to maintain a good academic standard.

I want to personally thank Dr. Michael Shub who decided very early to become my mentor and introduced me to Math Alliance. I cannot thank him enough for everything he has done for me. I also want to personally thank Dr. Christian Wolf, Dr. Patrick Hooper, and Dr. Joseph Bak for all their help, guidance, and for believing in me. I never thought that I could be calm and relaxed while talking to a Professor, but I was very comfortable talking to all of you.

The department of mathematics here at CCNY is composed of an amazing group of people, from faculty to staff, who will believe in you. They will do their best to provide you with all the resources you need to reach your goals and be successful. Thanks to Dr. Khalid Bou-Rabee, Dr. Patrick Hooper, Dr. Michael Shub, and Dr. Christian Wolf, I was always able to expand my knowledge of mathematics through independent studies, summer internships, and a summer school.

Thanks to Professor Elizabeth Blair Davey who taught me to be rigorous in mathematics since Calculus 1. I cannot forget to thank Dr. Eli Amzallag for his great lectures, and my favorite teacher and role model Gennady Yassiyevich. I am really going to miss everyone I have met at the department. This is not a goodbye, but a see you soon.

A very important chapter is coming to the end, and a new one is about to open. I have chosen to join Rochester Institute of Technology in the Fall for a Ph.D. in Mathematical modeling to make my dreams come true, but CCNY will always occupy a special place in my life in general, and in my education in particular. Without all the support I received here at CCNY, I wouldn’t have been able to become a future Ph.D. student by myself. I am grateful to have made friends that share the same passion here. Karoline Dubin, Pavel Javornik, Sarah Van, Vincent Filardi, Junjie Chen, Ana Tao, I wish you all the best in your programs and I am sure that we will all do our best to make CCNY proud of us.

I can recall snippets of memories throughout my life that might have suggested I would go on to study mathematics, but it wouldn’t be until my first few semesters at City College that it became clear to me that I had a real love for the subject. To me, it seemed that the math department’s mission was to uplift their students and make them see their true potential. From the first time I awkwardly walked into the chair’s office to inquire about the Math Club, I was welcomed with open arms. I knew then that I wholly wanted to emulate these people. I would like to thank George Brathwaite, Dana Mann, Dr. Michael Shub, and Mark Turner on behalf of the Math Club and the Association for Women in Mathematics CCNY Chapter for all of their support throughout the years. We could not have done it without your help in coordinating, funding, and even taking a part in our events. And I couldn’t have made it here now without your support. I will sincerely miss coming up there just to chat with you all.

I would like to personally thank Jason Redman, Dr. Bianca Santoro, Dr. Pat Hooper, Dr. Zajj Daugherty, Dr. Ethan Akin, Dr. Christian Wolf, Dr. Joseph Bak, and Dr. Alice Medvedev for all of their help with club activities, and for providing personal guidance. Even when things were tough, you all came through for me in ways I never expected. It is the sort of kindness I intend to honor by passing along down the road. Our interactions have meant the world to me. I would also like to thank the scholarship committee for making it possible for me, and so many others like me, to devote so much of our time to pursue our interests by alleviating the stress of making ends meet. The time I’ve spent poring over material, and working with others has been some of the most meaningful to me. Everyone in this department has greatly influenced my current trajectory, and I hope that we all keep in touch in the future.

I want to thank my girlfriend, Orian, and all my friends – Casey, Karoline, Anna, Joe, Kameron, Vincent, to name a few– that I’ve met here at City College for their support, and companionship over the years. The picture would feel incomplete without any one of you there. I have nothing but love for all of you and wish you all the best in your future.

Every chapter in our lives has to come to a close sometime, and I am glad I spent this chapter here at City. I will be moving to Chicago and attending Northwestern University in the Fall to pursue my Ph.D in mathematics. With everything I’ve learned from the people in this school, I feel confident about the future. I am eternally grateful to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting here, and for the opportunity to deepen my understanding of mathematics, as well as the sorts of communities it attracts.

San Diego State University is pleased to invite applications to its Summer 2020 Mathematics Research Experience for Undergraduates. The program dates this year will be June 14 to August 7, subject to final NSF approval. The projects will be in number theory.

The program will pay a stipend of $4000, provide housing, and some support for food for participants and the application deadline is March 1, 2020. For a detailed program description and application instructions/materials, please see the program website:

http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/math-reu/index.html