News: page 5

Prof. Jack Hanson has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering (JFRASE). The JFRASE is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and comes with a $50,000 fellowship.

A panel of reviewers chose Dr. Hanson's project for this highly selective award because they were convinced of its potential to make a significant contribution to society, to CUNY, and to his field. Dr. Hanson is joining a select group of 22 CUNY faculty who have won this award since 2012.

Above is an image related to Prof. Hanson's research: A simulation of a random growth model on a Voronoi tesselation; the color represents the time at which each cell is "infected" by an infection started at the origin.

Rio Alvarado Jackson is graduating from CCNY in 2021 with a M.S. in Mathematics. He is going to move on to work on his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh!

Hear about it from Rio Alvarado Jackson himself!

Coming to City College as a Master's student was for me in many ways an act of stubbornness. I had just finished my undergraduate degree in mathematics marked as much by my mediocre performance as my determination to continue study, in spite of the advice of my teachers at the time. In this way, CCNY offered me the opportunity to show I was more than my past work and further have me a place to learn more about the world of mathematics I loved so much. For this I will always be grateful.

Indeed I am still something of a strange math student, I study the field for reasons more epistemic than practical. But through my time working at CCNY and being guided by its faculty I feel I have grown a much more mature perspective on mathematics itself and why I continue to study it. In particular through a refinement of the connections mathematics shares with foundational ideas of knowledge and logic, through category theory and type theory in particular. I should note especially I am grateful for the exceptionally kind, thorough and informative tutelage of professors Khalid Bou-Rabee, Blair Davey (now at MSU), Brooke Feigon Jack Hanson and Michael Shub and Ben Steinberg. As well as the direct support given to me during the application process by my recommenders, without them I wouldn't be where I am today. I am also grateful to professor Hooper for his continued patience with my never-ending inquiries. Lastly, I must thank most of all my independent study advisor Noson Yanofsky (of Brooklyn College) for being the most helpful, earnest and insightful guide one could ever hope for, I am forever grateful to have had the privilege to know him.

With the above being said this fall I will begin my PhD. at the University of Pittsburgh, which is above all something I know I could not have hoped to say two years ago. The honor given me by my admission go that university and the opportunity to continue studying mathematics is only possible because City College first granted me the ability to continue on the path, rocky though my first steps had been. In this way I am grateful to all of CCNY and the many individuals make that institution possible, you have my thanks.

Yu Xuan Huang is graduating from CCNY in 2021 with a M.S. in Mathematics. He is going to move on to work at NASA as a statistical engineer!

Hear about it from Yu Xuan Huang himself!

My name is Yu Xuan Huang. First, congratulations to everyone and myself for the class of 2021. I am a student in the Master of Science program in Mathematics with interest in cybersecurity, blockchain, cryptography and data science. Currently, I’m working at NASA Langley Research Center as statistical engineer participating in Commercial Supersonic Technology (CST) project to analyze the aircraft data by using data science and machine learning techniques. I will continue my position after I graduate from CCNY. My work is very rewarding, as I’m contributing to NASA Missions and improving my knowledge in real-world application of mathematics.

I would like to recognize Professor Rosario Gennaro, Professor Shirshendu Chatterjee and Professor Jack Hanson for their support and their excellent teaching skills.

I decided to study Mathematics because mathematics builds problem-solving skills that trains our brain to seek solutions in a logical way and it’s the infrastructure for engineering. On these grounds, I’m interested in exploring the infinite possibilities that math can contribute to this world and its inhabitants.

Prof. Zajj Daugherty is the recipient of the 2021 Division of Science Excellence in Teaching, Curricular Innovation and Assessment Award. This award recognizes both the creativity and commitment of a full-time faculty member and the impact on student learning. Congratulations to Prof. Daugherty!

Mahameda Begum is graduating from CCNY in 2021 with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and a minor in Economics. She has been accepted to Teach for America!

Hear about it from Mahameda Begum herself!

My name is Mahameda Begum. I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in June 2021, majoring in Applied Mathematics and minoring in Economics from The City College of New York.

I have always gotten a great deal of gratification from helping other people and knowing that my help could improve or change someone else's life. This quality in my character was sharpened by the most impactful mentors in my life, my high school teachers and college professors. I owe all of my academic and personal achievements to them. As a first-generation college student and recent immigrant from Bangladesh, I would not be on the educational path I am on if it wasn’t for the support and guidance I received from these caring individuals. They have also inspired me to channel my passion for helping others into a career path that will allow me to give back to students who face similar challenges that come from being a minority. That is why I am joining Teach For America, as a 2021 Corps member, a program that will provide me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a classroom with students who come from underserved communities. While I continue to teach full-time, I will pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching at Relay GSE. So that one day I can give back to my community by being the best teacher I can possibly be.

I chose to study Applied Mathematics because I want to learn how math can be applied in real life and then teach it to my future students. I'd want to thank Prof. Joseph Bak for his guidance throughout my time at CCNY. I'd want to express my gratitude to Prof. Vladimir Shpilrain and Mr. Paul Clifford for providing me with wonderful recommendations for the Teach For America application process, as well as for their exceptional teaching talents. I'd also like to thank Prof. Brooke Feigon and Dr. Eli Amzallag for their outstanding lectures, and the list goes on. Finally, I'd like to thank Ms. Rhea Faniel for always being there to talk and give me guidance when I was having difficulty making career decisions.