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Megan Tucker smiles widely, her scarlet beanie a striking contrast to the snow-covered mountaintops that rise behind her.
Alumni and Friends

What do mathematicians do? This mathematics grad began a technical writing career at Amazon

Mathematics alumna Megan Tucker navigated clouds with a pen. After jumpstarting her technical writing career at Amazon Web Services, she's found her voice answering the unspoken questions.

Rachel Sousa stands before a vast body of water at the base of tall, sweeping mountains in Ireland.
Alumni and Friends

Mathematics graduate thrives with simple philosophy: ‘Why not?’

In the intricate languages of mathematics and biology, alumna Rachel Sousa, ‘20, is multilingual. Since graduating from Oregon State, she has bridged the disciplines through several prestigious research experiences and credits her success to seizing opportunities no matter the odds.

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Mathematics

Classroom puzzles to cosmic insights: Students and professor demystify mathematical theorem

More than 150 years ago, Joseph Bertrand stated a mathematical theorem. Proving why this theorem is true hasn’t been a simple endeavor. Two College of Science alumni, along with professor Patrick De Leenheer, recently published a paper in the SIAM Review pulling back the curtain on Bertrand’s Theorem. Together, they wrote a proof that is accessible to undergraduate mathematics or physics students.

Sullivan Bailey-Darland in front of an urban backdrop.
Students

A ‘limitless degree’: Physics senior pushes the boundaries of his field

How does DNA move? How do cells communicate with each other? When it comes to these questions, it’s easy to think of molecular biologists behind the words. But as physics and mathematics senior Sullivan “Sully” Bailey-Darland knows, there are many more voices asking.

Madison Collins stands in front of a grey background.
Students

Mathematics senior finds effective teaching strategies on her path to a graduate degree

Even though 1+2 will always be equal to 3, Madison Collins strives to teach math differently so that students can learn better and discover something new along the way.

Kimberly Truong
Mathematics

College of Science student selected as Goldwater Scholar

A third-year mathematics student has been named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

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Alumni and Friends

Math alumnus fast-tracks degree to actuarial success

Math alumnus James Hansen jumpstarted his career as an actuary, completing half his degree while still in high school.

Michael Waterman
News

Genomics pioneer paves the way for first-generation students

Genomics pioneer Michael Waterman (Mathematics ’64, ’66) receives the 2021 Lifetime Achievement in Science Award for his remarkable accomplishments that have brought honor, distinction and visibility to Oregon State University.

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Students

Oregon native – and role model to young girls – carves her own path in mathematics

Jennifer Smucker, mathematics senior, heads to Virginia Tech in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. in math. She hopes to be a role model for other women in STEM.

Goldwater Scholarship
Megan Tucker standing in park
Students

Mathematics and writing senior awarded Department of Energy fellowship

Megan Tucker will graduate next month with a substantial amount of research experience under her belt: She was awarded the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship, which gave her the opportunity to work on an interdisciplinary team at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Albany, Oregon, during the summer of 2019. The new knowledge gained from her internship helped her land a job as a technical writer with Amazon Web Services — a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to individuals, companies and governments.

Michael Kupperman in front of his research poster
Students

Prestigious research internship opens new possibilities for double-major science student

Michael Kupperman was among the 20 percent of applicants accepted for a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The paid 10-week internship program is designed to encourage undergraduates and recent graduates to pursue STEM careers through research experiences at one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories.

Rachel Sousa next to research poster
Students

Using mathematical biology to explore everything from ecological phenomenon to cancer cells

Mathematics senior Rachel Sousa found her passion in mathematical biology, motivated to work harder and break barriers in the notoriously male-dominated field.

Rachel Legard in front of Kidder Hall
Students

Math senior will use data to increase efficiency of governments and the private sector

For Rachel Legard ('19), a mathematics and business double major, participation and involvement in student and campus organizations has always been a priority.

Sara Tro wearing graduation gown in front of the Learning Innovation Center
Students

Math senior finds inspiration from women mathematicians at OSU

Inspired by her mathematics professors, Sara Tro is headed to the University of Colorado, Boulder, to pursue a Ph.D. in applied mathematics.

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Students

The impact of Presidential Scholars after one year

Meet 2018 Presidential Scholars and science students Eli Nicholas and Jordyn Hamilton.

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Mathematics

Making mathematics cool at Da Vinci Days

Greek astronomy and pi at the 2018 Da Vinci Days Festival.

Sarah Hagen, Branwen Purdy and Emerald Stacy standing in front of bush on OSU campus
Graduate students

Mathematics graduate students devote time to community outreach activities

Sarah Hagen, Branwen Purdy and Emerald Stacy share their enthusiasm for mathematics with the broader public.

Will Mayfield, Andrew Jensen and Sebastián Naranjo Álvarez hanging out on OSU campus
Mathematics

Mathematics graduate students tackle risk and uncertainty in marine science

The NSF Research Traineeship project on “Risk and Uncertainty Quantification in Marine Science” at OSU is preparing a new generation of natural resource scientists.

Jesse Rodriguez in front of Kidder Hall
Students

The triple crown of science: Graduating with degrees in math, physics and nuclear engineering

Math, physics and nuclear engineering senior Jesse Rodriguez isn’t your average student by most measures. A transfer student, Rodriguez enjoyed an incredible and wide-ranging learning experience where his classes in the different subjects led him to many wonderful insights about the deeper connections among his majors, and ultimately to a more solid understanding of science itself. He was one of just 26 students in 2018 to earn a prestigious Department of Energy fellowship that will pay for his Ph.D. at Stanford University to study plasma physics.

Morgan Pearson in front of Kidder Hall
Students

Winning at baseball with math and statistics

Math senior and baseball analytics expert Morgan Pearson was given job offers by two Major League Baseball teams—Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.