We have a great group of students this year from all over the country. Each student brings their personality and specialty to the team. We hope that all student will use their background to the best of their ability to help the research teams produce interesting findings. We want to share with you some of the brilliant minds that help make up the team.
- Alberto Sales from Florida International UniversityI am currently a student attending Florida International University and pursuing a BS in mathematics and a BS in computer science. I am mainly interested in differential equations, modeling, real analysis, and statistics. During the REU, I will be working with Ginelle and Eduardo on the population growth of immuno-tumor cells and how modifying parameters create various outcomes. I am also a regular person that enjoys partaking in leisurely activities like playing music, watching movies, and sports. Fun fact: My spirit animal is a sloth.
- Beckett Sanchez from Florida International University
I am a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics. This summer I am working on a project involving the Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation. After acquiring my B.S, I hope to attend graduate school and conduct research in the interdisciplinary field of theoretical physics/applied math. Throughout my undergrad experience, I've also developed a passion for teaching. I am a Learning Assistant at FIU and over the past year gave lectures in various subjects such as college algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
- Chandler Haight from Drake UniversityMy name is Chandler Haight (she/hers), and I am obtaining a B.S. in Mathematics and Chemistry at Drake University. I have found my interested in the mathematics within my last few semesters of school after completing advanced linear algebra and calculus courses. During my time at Drake, I have applied myself within my school’s department in my ways. Through the help of my university and professors, I have been given the opportunity to tutor, be a teaching assistant for a linear algebra course, and teach some lectures during my TA position. I wish to continue in academia to teach and conduct research as a professor for math. If you are interested in contacting me, my email is chandler.haight@drake.edu.
- Daniel Bilsker from Florida International UniversityMy name is Daniel Bilsker and I am entering the quantitative finance track of FIU's graduate math program starting in the fall. This past year I completed the equivalent of a BS in math after obtaining my JD in law. I am working under Professors Hernandez and Villamor using programming with Python in relation to the Black-Litterman Asset Allocation Model. I hope to gain valuable experience researching that will prepare me for a position in finance or high-tech. My dream is to become an entrepreneur and build my own start-up.
- Diana Nguyen Son from University of Tennessee, Knoxville
I am completing my Bachelor’s of Science at the Univeristy of Tennessee in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. At last summer’s REU, I was fortunate enough to be greeted with a variety of advanced mathematical research topics, accomplished faculty, and a one-of-a-kind graduate cohort. Most importantly, I successfully collaborated on research that explored the behaviors of solitary wave solutions to the Korteweg–De Vries equation. Now, I am looking forward to continuing to grow my skills and experience as a research mathematican at this year’s REU. In doing so, I feel I will be better prepared to achieve my goals of furthering my education with a graduate or masters program in Applied and Computational Mathematics.
- Gia Azcoitia from Florida International University
I am currently a junior studying mathematics and electrical engineering. My research interests lie primarily in partial differential equations and machine learning. Last year, I began a project with Professor Svetlana Roudenko studying the well posedness of the combined Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation, a PDE with infinite nonlinear terms. I am positive in my skills as a presenter and mathematician and am sure of the fact that I can explain and conduct my research confidently and succinctly. I have full intention of remaining in academia after I have completed my undergraduate degree, with the intention and hope to procure a PhD in applied mathematics. If you are interested in contacting me, my email is gazco002@fiu.edu.
- Grant Silewski from University of MinnesotaMy name is Grant Silewski, and I am currently working on a B.S. in both Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. I developed a love for Math when my mother first taught me basic arithmetic using flash cards. Throughout the years I developed a love for teaching, which has led me to pursue Mathematics. The most interesting Math course that I have taken was about commutative rings and Galois theory, and this summer I will be working on projects with Combinatorics and Graph Theory. My future plans are to attend graduate school for Mathematics and eventually become a professor. Outside of Mathematics, I mentor a high school robotics team, teaching students basic engineering principles and computer aided design (CAD), and in my free time I like listening to classical music and playing Dance Dance Revolution.
- Hannah Wubben from Loras College
My name is Hannah Wubben, and I am completing a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science at Loras College. My undergraduate research involved studying mathematics in computer graphics. During last year's REU, I studied the behavior of solutions to the combined Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation (cNLS). This summer, I plan on investigating PDEs with machine learning. I will be attending Northern Arizona University this fall to pursue a masters in Applied Mathematics. Here, I’ll also be working as a Teaching Assistant. Afterwards, I want to continue my education with a PhD in Applied Mathematics to further fulfill my ultimate goal of becoming a professor.
- Hanzhang Yin from University of ConnecticutMy Name is Hanzhang Yin(he/him), I am currently pursuing a Bachelor degree of Mathematics at University of Connecticut. I was a statistics and political science major student and realized my interests in mathematics in my sophomore year. I have taken several advanced math classes such as abstract algebra, real analysis, and topology. My research interests include, algebraic combinatorics, graph theory, and number theory. I worked on two reading projects about combinatorics in my junior year, which discussed counting walks and young tableaux respectively. It is exciting for me to look for patterns and use multiple aspects of mathematics to solve problems. For example, using dominos to construct fibonacci numbers. My passion drives me to be a tutor assisting non-math degree students to learn calculus and differential equations. After graduation, I hope to continue my research in graduate school and keep discovering the connections between different areas of mathematics.
- Ismael Morell from Florida International UniversityMy name is Ismael Morell and I am a mathematics major at Florida International University. My research interests include fourier analysis, machine learning, and topology. This summer I will be investigating the structure of exponential bases on certain Banach spaces. After this research experience I plan to pursue a PhD and become a research mathematician.
- Kevin Sterling Santamaria from Florida International UniversityMy name is Kevin Santamaria Sterling. I majored in Economics and Political Science at the University of Vermont. My research interests involve pricing negative environmental externalities—specifically, the social and environmental costs of plastics' decay in various ecosystems. I have a strong interest in mathematics, as I have taken courses in everything from Real Analysis I & II to differential equations and quantitative economics. I wrote a book explaining the principles of ecological economics, which is currently out for review by various academic and commercial publishers. I plan on pursuing an Economics PhD starting Fall 2023.
- Khadeja Ghannam from University of California, IrvineMy name is Khadeja Ghannam, and I am an undergraduate student pursuing my BS in Mathematics with a concentration in Biology at the University of California, Irvine. Initially, I attended Fullerton College for a year prior to my transfer to UCI. At Fullerton College, I obtained my AS in Math, and two interdisciplinary AAs, one was in Arts and Human Expression, and the other in Math and Science. My research interests lie in mathematical oncology, specifically the modeling of tumor-immune cell interaction in colorectal and liver cancer.
- Liam Busch from Rowan UniversityI am currently an Undergraduate Student at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. I expect to graduate in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. I also have minors in Statistics, Computer Science, and French. After graduating, I plan to pursue a higher degree so that I may do research in my future career. Mathematics research both at Rowan and here at FIU have been the highlights of my undergraduate years. Whether I was exploring questions on paper or via code, I’m always happiest when solving problems.
- Marcos Masip from Florida International University
My name is Marcos Masip (he/him), I am a protestant Christian who is interested in Theoretical Partial Differential Equations. I graduated from Miami Dade College with an Associates Degree in Mathematics. Currently I am working towards my BS in Comprehensive Mathematics at Florida International University and aim to receive a Doctorate’s Degree in mathematics in the near future. I’ve been involved in research related to biology and chemistry, helping to develop polymer beads in order to make the transfer of drugs to certain parts to the body system more manageable. At the moment, my interest is in understanding nonlinear partial differential equations and its solutions through different methods. If you would like to contact me, my email is godisfirstintheworld@gmail.
com. 
- Mark Leal from Florida International UniversityMy name is Mark Leal. I am a student at Florida International University. I am currently majoring in mathematics with a focus on pure mathematics. My interests are in analysis, linear algebra, and topology. I will be working closely with a mentor on a specific problem in harmonic analysis, namely, frames and bases in infinite dimensions. We will attempting to find a Reisz basis for an n-split interval. This is an exciting opportunity for me because it will be my first time contributing to research in mathematics. This program will better prepare me for my future graduate studies in mathematics. Outside of mathematics I have interests in urban planning, economics, and critical theory.
- Neila Bennamane from Florida International UniversityI'm Neila Bennamane and I'm currently in my senior year at Florida International University and will be completing my Bachelors in Mathematical Sciences under the Computer Science track by the end of the year. I am also in the accelerated masters program for Data Science. My interests lie in applied mathematics and machine learning for finance, real estate, game theory and optimization problems. This summer my research team and I will be studying cryptocurrency portfolio optimization with several machine learning techniques with stochastic statistical analysis. I hope to continue studying mathematics at the PhD level and applying machine learning to limited resource problems. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, SCUBA diving and participating in coral reef restoration efforts, and woodworking.
- Randolph Russell from Florida International UniversityMy name is Randolph Russell and I am originally from St.Vincent and the Grenadines. I just finished my junior year at Florida International University as a pure mathematics major. My main areas of interest are algebra, topology and geometry. My goal in joining the REU is to gain some experience in research mathematics and expand my knowledge of algebra. In my project we will be calculating topological invariants of K3 surfaces in weighted projective spaces.
- Richard Solomon from Florida International UniversityI am completing a bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics at Florida International University. My interest in mathematics began early in my academic career and my research interest is in machine learning, statistics, and mathematical modeling. I have undergraduate research experience working in anomaly detection with the D.O.E. After this experience I wanted to continue research work and joined the REU at FIU’s mathematics department. My future plan is to earn a Ph.D.
- Saja Gherri from University of Michigan - Ann ArborMy name is Saja Gherri (she/her). I am a student at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, pursuing a B.S in Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Astronomy. My research interests revolve around the intersections of mathematics, astrophysics, and epistemology. I’ve worked in the UMich Department of Physics, focusing on the project “Assumptions of Physics”, which links notions of experimental verifiability to topologies and sigma-algebras. This project animated my curiosity towards the much debated notion of inherent mathematical-physical relationships. I’ve also worked in the UMich Department of Astrophysics, working to model the luminosity function to characterize a particular population of stars in dwarf elliptical galaxies. My current research at AMRPU focuses on mathematical models for phase separation, with anticipated applications in cosmology, microbiology, material science, and more. I hope to pursue a PhD, approaching scientific and mathematical problems with a unique philosophical perspective.
- Sam Kilgore from University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleMy name is Sam Kilgore, from Knoxville, Tennessee. I study at the University of Tennessee with a double-major in Applied Math and Statistics. Outside of the classroom, I have spent my time outside UTK tutoring my peers in math and business analytics, in which my unofficial specialty was coding in R. I am currently participating in an applied math research experience; my project focuses on partial differential equations. Once this research is done, I will be returning to work in Knoxville while researching further research opportunities or graduate school.
- Samantha Roberts from University of UtahMy name is Samantha Roberts, and I’m headed into my final year at the University of Utah. I’m majoring in Applied Mathematics with minors in CS and Astronomy. I’ve previously completed research in statistical modeling of green energy in the US. My interests lie specifically in mathematical physics. During this REU I’m working on a project involving modeling phase separation. Eventually I hope to get a PhD and pursue a career in math and astronomy research. Currently I’m president of the Quizbowl Team at the U, a club which focuses on competitive team trivia.
- Steppan Konoplev from University of Maryland I am a junior at University of Maryland finishing a Bachelor's in math and minor in computer science. I've cleaned out the 400 level math classes at UMD and have been taking graduate courses the past semester to prepare for grad school. My interests are algebraic geometry, number theory, and graph theory. During AMRPU, I am researching complex algebraic geometry. The goal is to complete several prerequisite worksheets, read section 4 of "An introduction to varieties in weighted projective space", and expand upon the results in this paper by calculating cohomologies in spaces with singularities. Outside of math, I play ping pong, board games, poker, and Quizbowl. My plan after graduation is to go to grad school, get a PhD in math, and become a math professor. The entire time, I'll be proving new theorems, discovering new results, and attending conferences.
- Troy Roberts from University of Alabama
My name is Troy Roberts and I'm a rising senior at the University of Alabama. My first two years I was a geology major and performed research in a dendrochronology and paleoclimatology lab. As much as I loved studying the Earth and the pressing issues of climate change, I couldn't ignore my true passion - mathematics. After exposure to ideas of logic and analysis I was hooked. At this REU I plan to dig deeper into Fourier Analysis and Lebesgue spaces. I'm most interested in analysis and in particular, the construction of methods to solving PDEs. I will be graduating with a B.S. in pure math with minors in chemistry, physics, and geology in the spring of 2022 and master's in mathematics the following year. I plan to stay in academia to teach and research as a professor.
