Math Graduate Student, Kelly Isham, Awarded 2020-2021 President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship!

Congratulations to Kelly Isham! Kelly entered the PhD program in 2016. Her research area is Algebra & Number Theory and her advisor is Professor Nathan Kaplan. 

"My dissertation will compose two main projects that are at the intersection of combinatorics and number theory. First, I count the number of n-arcs in projective space. Glynn gave a formula for the number of n-arcs in the projective plane in terms of special 'extremal configurations.' I am generalizing this formula to 3-dimensional projective space, which will be given in terms of special configurations I call 'hyperfigurations.' For the second project, I am working on finding a new lower bound for the number of subrings of prime power index in Z^n, which should lead to a new lower bound for the number of orders in a number field." 

The President’s Dissertation Year (PDY) Fellowship is intended for students in their final year of graduate study who are planning to pursue teaching and research appointments soon after their dissertation fellowship year. This award assists graduate students with the completion of their dissertation, and enhances their qualifications as candidates for university faculty teaching and research appointments by professional opportunities needed to successfully obtain a faculty appointment.


 Jennifer Bryson has been awarded the ARCS Scholar Fellowship for 2017/2018

ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation, Inc. advances science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to academically outstanding U.S. citizens studying to complete degrees in science, engineering and medical research. It is ARCS Foundation's belief that support of STEM education is e22ssential to U.S. economic growth and technological competitiveness, and helps to ensure continued U.S. leadership in global innovation, health and quality of life.

ARCS Scholar Awards are intended to recognize and reward UC Irvine's most academically superior doctoral students exhibiting outstanding promise as scientists, researchers and leaders.


Faculty Mentor Program Honorable Mention Fellowship 2017-2018 has been awarded to Math Graduate Students, Benjamin Vig and John Peca-Medlin

Congratulations to Benjamin Vig and John Peca-Medlin! The Graduate Division and the fellowship selection committee awarded Benjamin Vig and John Peca-Medlin the Faculty Mentor Program Honorable Mention Fellowship for AY 2017-2018. The fellowship is intended to support their continued engagement in research as well as academic and professional development.


National Science Foundation Division of Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 2017 has been awarded to Casey Kelleher and Christopher Lopez

Congratulations to Casey Kelleher and Christopher Lopez!
The Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship is to "support future leaders in mathematics and statistics by facilitating their participation in postdoctoral research environments that will have maximal impact on their future scientific development."

Casey entered the PhD program in Fall 2012. Her research area is Geometry and Topology and her advisor is Professor Richard Schoen. Casey will be going to Princeton University for her postdoctoral work, and her sponsoring scientist will be Gang Tian.

Christopher entered the PhD program in Fall 2011. His research area is Geometric Analysis and his advisor is Jeffrey Streets. Christopher will be going to UCSB for his postdoctoral work, and his sponsoring scientist will be Guofang Wei. 


Math Graduate Student, Casey Kelleher, Awarded 2016 President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship

Congratulations to Casey Kelleher! She has been awarded the 2016 President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship. Casey entered the PhD program in Fall 2012. Her research area is Geometry and Topology and her advisor is Professor Richard Schoen. 

The President’s Dissertation Year (PDY) Fellowship is intended for students in their final year of graduate study who are planning to pursue teaching and research appointments soon after their dissertation fellowship year. This award assists graduate students with the completion of their dissertation, and enhances their qualifications as candidates for university faculty teaching and research appointments by professional opportunities needed to successfully obtain a faculty appointment.


UCI receives NIH grant to improve options for doctoral graduates across science-related careers

Dr. David Fruman, Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and Director of the Cellular and Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. program, was recently awarded a $1.71 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows develop their knowledge and skills in preparation for a multitude of science-related careers. As part of the campus-wide UCI-GPS program (UC Irvine Graduate Professional Success), the grant will focus on graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the Ayala School as well as the schools of Physical Sciences, Medicine and the Samueli School of Engineering.

“Trainees in the program will gain professional skills and hands-on experience in workforce sectors where they can leverage their scientific knowledge and analytical skills in a variety of fulfilling careers within and outside academia,” Dr. Fruman said. “Graduate programs at UCI will benefit through improved job placement of graduates, strengthening of alumni networks, and better recruiting of talented applicants.”

UCI-GPS aims to transform the culture of graduate education and postdoctoral training. This grant will focus efforts in the biomedical sciences by ensuring that trainees acquire the skills they need to become both outstanding scientists and multi-skilled professionals who are able to work in academic research laboratories or non-academic science-related careers, whichever path they choose. The program partners across 10 Ph.D. programs and the Graduate Division and will offer training to more than 700 pre-doctoral and 200 postdoctoral fellows in supported disciplines in the four schools mentioned above.

UCI-GPS offers the potential not only to expand students’ career options, but also to revitalize work on campus by increasing collaborations with local industry partners and strengthening the recruitment of high-level graduate students and postdocs.

UCI-GPS evolved in response requests from UCI graduate and postdoctoral associations to help students develop the knowledge and skill set to better prepare them for a multitude of science related careers. The NIH awarded UCI-GPS the NIH Director’s Biomedical Research Workforce Innovation Award: Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST), which calls for innovative responses to enable graduate and postdoctoral training programs to address the many diverse opportunities in today’s biomedical careers, which often lead in directions such as government, industry, and science policy. 

For more information please contact Professor John Lowengrub jlowengr@uci.edu