Math and Data Science Student Spotlight
The Math and Data Science Student Spotlight is your opportunity to learn a bit more about one of your fellow Math and Data Science majors at UNL. This week, Andrew Cook from Lincoln, Nebraska, is in the spotlight.
Name: Andrew Cook
Majors: Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering
Year in School: Senior
Where are you from?
I am from Lincoln, Nebraska.
What gets you excited about Math?
For me, I like the feeling of everything connecting together. I think that bringing seemingly unrelated theorems or topics together to make one coherent statement is fun. This isn't always the most effective way to prove things, but I believe that the novelty in that brings a lot of value for future use.
Favorite math class or instructor so far? Why?
My favorite math instructor was Thomas Marley, and he taught my favorite class, Group Theory. I liked this class because this was something more abstract. Because this class was more abstract, it requires you to necessarily understand the connection between the facts that you learn well. I liked Dr. Marley because I thought that he explained the connection well which made me enjoy the class.
What are you excited about doing after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to apply for graduate school, and I am excited to dive deeper into topics. I am applying for a mechanical engineering graduate degree as I am in a 2-degree programs. I didn't want to apply for a math graduate degree because I don't want to study math for the sake of math. I want to be able to connect these types of topics to the real world.
What is a goal you have accomplished as a Husker?
I wanted to get involved in research, and I have been able to research under Dr. Nama. This experience was great for me and solidified my decision to go to graduate school.
What do you wish you would have known when you started as a Math Major that you know now?
I wish I would've made the decision to add a math major earlier. I think that my choice to major in math has helped me think about what I want to do more clearly by delaying graduate school by a year.
What do you hope to cross off your “bucket list” in the next few years?
I would like to learn topology because I have seen so many references to it that it makes me very curious what the topic is actually like. The things also I want to research in graduate school will use that field of mathematics a bit, so I will have to learn this topic at some point.
If you would like to see yourself in the spotlight, please contact Doug for more information.