Axel Saenz Rodriguez, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, has been awarded the prestigious Simons Foundation Pivot Fellowship for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of probability theory and mathematical physics.
The Simon Foundation Pivot Fellowship is a highly competitive award that supports early-career researchers seeking to pivot their research into new, impactful scientific areas. The fellowship provides recipients with resources and mentorship from leading experts to explore innovative directions in their research.
“Only eight Pivot Fellowships were given in all of science, math, and engineering this year. Axel’s achievement in securing this fellowship speaks volumes about his interdisciplinary approach to research and the impact of his work,” said Department of Mathematics Head Jon Kujawa.
Saenz Rodriguez will use the fellowship to bridge theoretical models in probability and mathematical physics with experimental work in two-dimensional quantum magnetic materials, a field with vast potential for next-generation technologies, such as clean energy and computational advancements.
As part of the fellowship, he will be mentored by Eric Corwin and Oksana Ostroverkhova, faculty members at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, respectively. The pair will help Saenz Rodriguez in scientific practices for high-performing numerical computational and experimental physics.
Saenz Rodriguez joined the College of Science in 2021, along with his spouse Swati Patel. His work involves creating exact formulas to analyze various processes in space and time using different areas of mathematics, like algebra, geometry, and combinatorics. His research mainly looks at the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class, which describes certain random behaviors in one-dimensional systems with complex interactions. Saenz Rodriguez aims to develop a clearer understanding and practical uses of the KPZ class.
In 2023, he helped co-organize the Math For All satellite conference, hosting about 40 people in Corvallis for free. The aim is to foster inclusivity in mathematics. The conference welcomed people from Linn-Benton Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Portland State University, University of Portland and Oregon State.
Prior to Oregon State, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Warwick, Tulane University and the University of Virginia where he was the Mary Ann Pitts Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Mathematics. He earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from UC Davis and his bachelor’s in applied mathematics from Columbia University.
