What are the main reasons you chose UNI over other colleges and universities?

Being an out-of-state student and coming from Wisconsin, I regularly consider this question as UNI wasn’t an obvious choice when I was graduating from high school. The easy answer is that the school simply felt right when I came to visit. In terms of logistics, it’s the right distance from home as well as being the perfect sized school for me. It wasn’t until I arrived at UNI that I truly began to see all the opportunities UNI could provide me that other schools simply couldn’t. From scholarship opportunities to access to undergraduate research, I began to see opportunities arise that none of my friends from high school had at other schools. UNI has made it incredibly clear that the university’s goal is to help students succeed and reach their goals, and this is exactly why UNI has been an excellent fit for me.

You came to UNI in 2018. What were your first impressions about our school? 

The thing that amazed me the most about UNI was the amount of pride everyone had in the school. From students to alumni to faculty to the community in general, everyone is proud to be involved with UNI and wants the university to succeed. As someone who didn’t know anyone else on campus when I first arrived, this made it easy to feel welcome on campus and to immediately get involved with activities and groups throughout the year. Because of this, the pride for UNI has rubbed off on me and I am incredibly proud to represent UNI in everything that I do.

You double major in Physics and Mathematics. What drew you to these fields of study?

I initially came to UNI as a pure physics major and ended up adding the math major as a second major during my sophomore year (2019-20). Ever since elementary school I’ve always loved science and how it describes and explains the world around us. Physics specifically caught my interest as it combined theoretical ideas and mathematical concepts to explain the real world. This method has always fascinated me and that is what drew me to the double major of physics and mathematics. The two subjects can work so well together, and I think many people who focus solely on one area aren’t able to recognize the interaction between the two. My math classes have drastically benefitted me in my physics classes, and vice versa. While it can certainly be stressful at times to balance classes in the two difficult majors, it has also been an incredibly valuable experience that I have ultimately enjoyed.

Are there any courses in our department that you feel have made a significant impact on your growth as a mathematician? How about some math professors who a difference for you?

I’ve had multiple math courses that have positively affected me in different ways. Obviously, some courses are immediately applicable to my physics courses or a future career (such as calculus, or differential equations), but some courses challenge me in a completely different way and don't have as clear of applications to physics. The courses that have challenged me the most and forced me to grow the most have likely been Advanced Calculus as well as Modern Algebra. These courses have encouraged me to think about mathematics in a completely new way that I’ve never done before. Specifically, Dr. Stanley and Dr. Prophet have done an excellent job of sharing new ways to think about problems in class or mathematical concepts in general. They truly show how much they care about their students and want them to succeed, while also being excited about the subjects they teach. Their teaching styles have encouraged me to continue to learn more about mathematics and to continue to push myself in each of my classes, no matter the subject.

Do you have any particularly memorable experiences at UNI? 

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had through UNI was the opportunity to travel with the spring basketball pep band to the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Championship in St. Louis, MO. This was my freshman year of college, and it was a thrilling experience to travel to St. Louis to do something I love and to represent UNI. It wasn’t something I expected to do, so it was a new experience for me. The idea of new experiences, in general, has tended to be a theme of my most memorable moments at UNI. There are so many opportunities and activities to take part in that aren’t available elsewhere but now I couldn’t picture not having them. Both in and out of the classroom there are so many moments that make my experience at UNI so memorable.

Since the summer of 2020 you have been involved in undergraduate research in Physics. Can you give us a few details about the project you have been working on?

Since the summer of 2020, I have worked with Dr. Ali Tabei of the UNI Physics department conducting undergraduate research in a subdiscipline that I would describe as “computational biophysics”. Through my project, I’ve worked with a computer program (MATLAB) to accurately simulate dynamic interactions between nucleoproteins as they compete to saturate single-stranded DNA during the DNA repair process of homologous recombination. This process is naturally stochastic, so we’ve worked to take a purely deterministic model and turn it into a stochastic Monte Carlo model. It’s been an incredibly fascinating and valuable experience to take part in this project and I am very glad I’ve had the opportunity.

You are currently a senior on track to graduate next May. What are your plans after graduation?

I currently plan on continuing my education in graduate school after I graduate this next spring. I’m still narrowing down where exactly I’ll be studying, but I do plan on studying Atmospheric Science focusing specifically on Atmospheric Dynamics. This will continue to utilize topics and skills that I’ve learned in my time here at UNI. After graduate school, I hope to find a career that will allow me to continue with the applications of these skills. While it’s still a little unclear exactly what type of career this will lead me to, I would enjoy being able to perform scientific research in some capacity. Being able to spend my career continuing to learn math and science and how they apply to the world we live in would be the ideal situation for me.

You have been a member of the UNI Marching Band since you came to UNI. What instrument are you playing and what role does music play in your life? 

I have played the trumpet in the Panther Marching Band (PMB) for all four years that I’ve been at UNI. The band, and music in general, has always provided me with something else to turn to and work on when I begin to get overwhelmed with schoolwork or other stressful things. Music, in general, has always played an important part in my life but the PMB has a very specific role by requiring a significant amount of work while also being something that helps me to relax.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Outside of classes or work I have a wide variety of interests. As mentioned previously, I enjoy participating in the marching band and other bands on campus (basketball pep band and spring concert band), but I also enjoy staying active and moving around. From running to rock climbing, I would say most of my free time is spent doing some sort of physical activity. Music and working out are just different ways for me to take my mind off the stress of classes or work and simply work on something else. They have also connected me with some amazing people that have become some of my closest friends.

Any other information that you think our readers would like to know about you?  

I’m ultimately very thankful for everyone in the math department as well as everyone who supports the department in whatever way. The department has provided me with huge amounts of opportunities and support throughout my time at UNI, so I’m very thankful for the work they do for their students.