Department of Mathematics and Statistics News

$Department of Mathematics and Statistics Hosts International Cryptography Conference$ Department of Mathematics and Statistics Hosts International Cryptography Conference

Leading experts from around the world come to South Florida for the prestigious International Association for Cryptologic Research Public-Key Cryptography Conference in May. Read more.

Noah Corbett - Graduated with a Ph.D. in Mathematics on April 1, 2026. Congratulations!

Dr. Noah Corbett fulfilled all of the requirement for the Ph.D. in Mathematics and defended his dissertation on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Read more.

19th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics

Bahia Mar, Fort Lauderdale Beach — January 7–9, 2026. Read more.

FAU Welcomes Fulbright Scholar Dr. Amina Aicha Khennaoui

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Florida Atlantic University Welcomes Fulbright Scholar Dr. Amina Aicha Khennaoui, International Leader in Applied Mathematics and Fractional Dynamics. Read more.

Florida GeoGebra Conference 2026

This spring, the Schmidt College of Science hosted Amina-Aicha Khennaoui, Ph.D., a visiting Fulbright Scholar from Algeria, who specializes in applied mathematics and fractional dynamics. Read more.

Meet Visiting Fulbright Scholar Amina-Aicha Khennaoui, Ph.D.

This spring, the Schmidt College of Science hosted Amina-Aicha Khennaoui, Ph.D., a visiting Fulbright Scholar from Algeria, who specializes in applied mathematics and fractional dynamics. Read more.

Dual-enrolled Math Student, Kyle Loh, Named 2026 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar

Meet dual-enrolled junior at FAU High School and third-year College of Science student Kyle Loh, who aims to improve our understanding of modern computational tools through mathematics. Read more.

Program of Strategic Emphasis Waivers Available for STEM Undergraduates

“This tuition waiver allows students like me to focus more on their studies without the added pressure of financial constraints,” shared Tran Nguyen, a junior mathematics major. “I am incredibly grateful for this support, as it has allowed me to pursue my passion for mathematics with dedication and enthusiasm. It has also given me the opportunity to continue to explore the many facets of this subject and dedicate myself to learning and growing in this field.” Read more.

Ph.D. Student Ganesh Shiwakoti Explores the Mathematical Foundation of AI to Advance Health Care Solutions

At FAU, I have been able to participate in research in Topological Data Analysis (TDA) under the direction of Dr. Motta. Through my research, I gained exposure to working with machine learning (ML) pipelines and neural data. This research gave me insight into the tools available to learn information from large and noisy datasets while giving me the opportunity to contribute to a project aimed at improving the TDA to ML pipeline.

I am interested in using dynamical systems to create mathematical models and would like to use my experience in machine learning to explore ‘hybrid’ models that use both machine learning and mathematical modeling techniques to improve the predictive power of mathematical models. Read more.

Ph.D. Student Ganesh Shiwakoti Explores the Mathematical Foundation of AI to Advance Health Care Solutions

Mathematics and statistics Ph.D. student Ganesh Shiwakoti is studying the mathematical foundation of artificial intelligence (AI). He intends to apply this knowledge to advance health care solutions within the medical AI industry. Read more.

NIST Selects FAU for a New Generation of Encryption Standards

Florida Atlantic University has been recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and its partners in the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). This prestigious designation, awarded through the academic year 2030, affirms the university’s leadership and innovation in the field of cybersecurity research at the doctoral level. Read more.

Student Spotlight - Elisabeth Rodriguez

Research interests: Combinatorics, Topology, Complex Analysis and Cryptography. Read more.

$Jorge Gonzalez$

Jorge Gonzalez to start a tenure track position at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the Fall

Jorge Gonzalez joined the FAU Department of Mathematical Sciences in the Fall of 2013. After distinguishing himself in his course work and qualifying exams at FAU, he began work on his dissertation in 2015 under the supervision of Professors J.D. Mireles James and Necibe Tuncer. He completed his Ph.D. from The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Florida Atlantic University in 2020. Read more.

$William Youmans, Ph.D.$

William Youmans, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Florida Atlantic University, will soon begin a new postdoctoral position at Clemson University

William Youmans, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Florida Atlantic University, will soon begin a new postdoctoral position at Clemson University, where he will continue his research in post-quantum cryptography in collaboration with the Savannah River National Laboratory. Read more.

Congratulations to Deepak Bastola on earning the Master of Science Degree!

We in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are proud to highlight the academic journey and achievements of Deepak Bastola, a dedicated scholar and passionate advocate for mathematics education. Read more.

$Conference on Ordered Algebraic Structures 2025$

Conference on Ordered Algebraic Structures 2025

Congratulations to Dr. Papiya Bhattacharjee, and Dr Warren McGovern for the successful organization of the Conference on Ordered Algebraic Structures, 2025. The meeting was held on Friday, May 9th through Sunday May 11th, 2025, at The Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Florida. Read more.

Ph.D. Student Deepak Bastola Selected as Global Ambassador and President of Global Owls for 2025/2026

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is delighted to announce that Deepak Bastola, a Ph.D. student with a research focus in Applied Statistics and Machine Learning, has been selected as one of the three students, university-wide, to serve as a Global Ambassador for the 2025/2026 academic year at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Read more.

An AI Research Hub for Students

The Florida Atlantic University Gruber AI Sandbox, established by a generous gift from Rubin and Cindy Gruber in 2019, has developed into an artificial intelligence (AI) makerspace, where students can explore AI-based projects and applications. Read more.

$Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing, March 3-7, 2025$

Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing, March 3-7, 2025

The Fifty-sixth Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing (SEICCGTC) was held March 3-7, 2025, in the Student Union at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Read more.

$Department of Mathematics and Statistics celebrate Pi Day, March 14, 2025!$

Department of Mathematics and Statistics celebrate Pi Day, March 14, 2025!

On March 14th, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics celebrated International Math Day (Pi Day) with a variety of engaging activities. Organized by student organizations—the FAU Math Club, AWM Chapter, and SIAM Chapter—the event featured an exciting Kahoot game, where graduate student Nathan secured first place. Read more.

FAU Named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research

This recognition places Florida Atlantic and its research and academics in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science among an elite group of institutions nationwide that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to cutting-edge research in cyber defense and security. Read more.

$Florida GeoGebra, 2025 conference$

Florida GeoGebra, 2025 conference

Dr. Katarzyna Winkowska-Nowak, Director for the Fully Online Master of Science in Teaching Mathematics, organized the 2025 Florida GeoGebra Conference with cooperation of Stiles-Nicholson STEM Teacher Academy, and the GeoGebra Team. Read more.

$CMBB Biotech Bridge Hackathon: Mathematics and Statistics Graduate Assistant’s Team Earns Honorable Mention$

CMBB Biotech Bridge Hackathon: Mathematics and Statistics Graduate Assistant’s Team Earns Honorable Mention

The Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (CMBB) hosted the CMBB Biotech Bridge Hackathon: Beat the Clock! from January 31 to February 1, 2025, bringing together some of the brightest minds in biotechnology and interdisciplinary research. Read more.

NIST Selects FAU for a New Generation of Encryption Standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has selected the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Hamming Quasi-Cyclic (HQC) for standardization in its Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) project. After a thorough evaluation process, NIST selected HQC to be part of the new generation of encryption standards. Read more.

Faculty Spotlight: Jason Mireles-James

Dr. Jason Mireles-James, Professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Florida Atlantic University, is spending the Fall 2024 semester on sabbatical at the Université de Montréal, where he is a co-organizer for a thematic program titled "Computational Dynamics – Analysis, Topology & Data.” Read more.

Student Spotlight - Hannah Jackson

Ph.D. Student Spotlight: Juan Miranda

Juan Miranda is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, housed in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Read more.

Ph.D. Student Spotlight: Sulani Thakshila

Most of my research at FAU has been in Applied Mathematics. Other research interests lie in Computational Mathematics, Cryptography, Number Theory, and Applied Algebra. Read more.

Ph.D. Student Spotlight: Dominic Gold

Adam Zaidan Undergraduate Student Spotlight

Ph.D. Student Ganesh Shiwakoti Explores the Mathematical Foundation of AI to Advance Health Care Solutions

Mathematics and statistics Ph.D. student Ganesh Shiwakoti is studying the mathematical foundation of AI to help advance health care solutions. Read more.

Department of Mathematics and Statistics Longstanding Host of Major International Math Conferences

The Schmidt College of Science’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics has a long history of hosting three major international math conferences every year. Held every spring semester, the conferences aim to connect the global math community through a range of disciplines, from the growing field of artificial intelligence (AI) to combinatorics, graph theory, and computing. Read more.

Young CryptograpHers Cybersecurity Summer Camp, August 5-9, 2024

The Cryptography faculty and staff in the Department on Mathematics and Statistics at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) hosted the 5th Young CryptograpHers Cybersecurity Summer Camp (YCCSC) in the Sandbox during the week of August 5, 2024, and was held in the Sandbox located in the Wimberly Library. The YCCSC was funded in part by grants from the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America. Read more.

FAU Receives $2.6 Million NSF CyberCorps Scholarship Grant

This project leverages the deep faculty expertise and course offerings to drive student training and skill development at the intersection of cybersecurity and thematic areas of AI, post-quantum cryptography, and hardware security. Read more.

$FAU Hosts Second Annual Florida Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science$

FAU Hosts Second Annual Florida Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science

The second cohort of the prestigious Florida Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science is already half-way through its intensive program at Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus. From May 22 to June 30, FAU is home to 12 undergraduate or early graduate students from around the country who are eager to learn from an immersive training experience focused on biostatistics, epidemiology, and data science. Read more.

$The Department of Mathematical Science hosts Middle School Math Day (AMC 8) on January 21, 2023$

The Department of Mathematical Science hosts Middle School Math Day (AMC 8) on January 21, 2023

Ph.D. Student Spotlight

Binod Rimal is studying machine learning and statistics. Read more.

Student Alumni Spotlight: Vivek Sreejithkumar

"I have conducted several research projects with Dr. Tuncer since I was a sophomore, researching the epidemiological modeling of infectious diseases including H1N1 influenza, COVID-19, and HIV. I have published my previous research projects with Dr. Tuncer in the FAU Undergraduate Research Journal, SIAM Undergraduate Research Online, and the Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering journal." Read more.

Postdoc Spotlight: Wai-Ting Lam

Welcome to Wai-Ting Lam, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow who will be studying celestial mechanics. Read more.

$Eliminate COVID-19? Its possible with new mathematical models$

Eliminate COVID-19? Its possible with new mathematical models

Lead author on the study Necibe Tuncer, Ph.D., developed novel mathematical framework. Read more.

Combinatorics, Computing, Group Theory and Application

The conference was held at the Wyndham in Deerfield Beach, Florida, August 14 – 21, 2022.
Read more.

Sulani Vidhanalage participated in the Park City Mathematics Institute’s summer session. Read more.

Best Wishes to Dr. Roger Goldwyn

Dr. Goldwyn has officially retired from Florida Atlantic University - August 2022. Read more.

Best Wishes to Dr. Lee Klingler

Dr. Klingler has officially retired from Florida Atlantic University - August 2022. Read more.

Mathematical Sciences Student Wins Runner-Up in 2022 Three Minute Thesis Championship

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Ph.D. candidate in Mathematics, Amish Mishra, took home the Runner-Up award from FAU's 6th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Championship this year for his presentation, "Seeing data: For now we see dimly, but soon we will see shape to shape." Mishra works with faculty advisor, Assistant Professor, Francis Motta, Ph.D. June, 2022. Read more.

Congratulations, Amish Mishra!

Ph.D. candidate, Amish Mishra spent 10 weeks this summer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for a summer internship program. While there, he competed in the 2022 Ignite Off! Competition, hosted by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). June, 2022. Read more.

Ph.D. Student Spotlight: Archana Neupane Timsina, Mathematical Sciences

Early congratulations to soon-to-be graduate Archana Neupane Timsina! Archana will graduate from FAU in August with her Ph.D. in Mathematics. Her research interests focus on infectious disease epidemics and computing invariant manifold of implicit dynamical systems. June, 2022. Read more.

Math Student National Winner in 2021 Rising Scientist Awards

Vivek Sreejithkumar conducted mathematical modeling alongside mathematical biologist and Associate Professor, Necibe Tuncer, Ph.D. Read more.

NIST Selects FAU Department of Mathematical Sciences Professor’s Quantum-Resistant Cryptographic Algorithm

Shi Bai, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and collaborators are actively involved in the development of new international standards to protect cyber infrastructure. Read more.

International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics Re-cap

The International Symposium held its 17th event (virtually) January 3-5, 2022. Learn more.

53rd Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Computing Re-cap

The 53rd Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Computing (SEICCGTC 53) was held fully “hybrid” on March 7-11, 2022. Read more.

$math day 2021$ Math Day in the Sandbox, October 23, 2021 Read more

FAU Quality Enhancement Plan: LeArning Reimagined

Departmental Leadership's Proposal Selected. Read more.

Brittanney Adelmann

B.A. to M.S. to Ph.D. in Mathematics at FAU. Read more.

AU Researcher’s Algorithm Part of Final Selection Round for Creating First Post-Quantum Cryptography Standard

Congratulations to Edoardo Persichetti, Ph.D. whose proposal for a cryptographic encryption scheme made it to the final round of the Post-Quantum Standardization process. August, 2020. Read more.

Three Year NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship Awarded to Jorge Gonzalez

Every fall the National Science Foundation (NSF) invites STEM Ph.D. candidates in the final year of their studies to apply for the prestigious NSF postdoctoral fellowship program.
February, 2020. Read more.

FAU Mathematics Professor’s Book Hits Amazon’s Top 20 List

Over the summer, Dragan Radulović, Ph.D., Department of Mathematical Sciences Professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, released his second book, “Why Does Math Work ... If It’s Not Real?” In the months following its publication, Radulović has been amazed by his book’s success. Read more.

Math Researcher Makes Breakthrough in Understanding Malaria

Francis Motta, Ph.D., and colleagues uncovered evidence that will enable scientists to develop new strategies and treatments to prevent and control parasitic infections. Read more.

Science Students Compete at FURC 2021

Daniela Nikolova, Ph.D., Senior mathematics Instructor, and her team of students and alumni competed for the second consecutive year at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference 2021. Read more.

Even Colleges with 100 Percent Vaccine Rates Need COVID-19 Testing

Findings from the study suggest that surveillance testing and isolation of positive cases may remain important mitigation strategies for universities even if 100 percent of the students are vaccinated. Read more.

Graduate Student Spotlight - Dominic Gold

A highlight of my time as a graduate student has been presenting my research at seminars and conferences related to data science and cryptography. Talks and conferences are important for graduate students to attend as one can foster important relationships with world-leading pioneers in their field of research as well as re-establish contact with researchers that one has met at past conferences. These can lead to fruitful opportunities for collaboration and even potential job opportunities." Read more.

Alumnus Named University of Montenegro President

Vladimir Bozovic, Ph.D., 2008 alumnus, named President of the University of Montenegro. Read more.

Biostatician Awarded $6.6 Million NIH Grant to Study Alzheimer's

Reducing disparities in Alzheimer's and dementia outcomes in multicultural rural populations. Read more.

NSF CAREER Award for Cryptography

Shi Bai, Ph.D., receives award for cutting-edge research. Read more.

Alumna Spotlight with Catherine Berrouët

Catherine Berrouet is an alumna of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, earning an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics.

Zvi Rosen Receives MAA Merten M. Hasse Award

Rosen and collaborators receive award for “Algebraic Matroids in Action." Read more. View the MAA FOCUS newsmagazine that contains Rosen's award listing on page 13.

Congratulations to Daniela Nikolova

Daniela Nikolova earned the Certificate of Professional Development in Online Pedagogy for succesfully completing Professional Development in Online Pedagogy. This certificate marks a high level of achievement in professional development. Daniela Nikolova was cordially invited to join the launch of FAU’s Faculty Innovation Hub where the Provost recognized Daniela and others at FAU colleagues who have earned this certificate. Thank you for your continued commitment to the continuous improvement of online education for students at Florida Atlantic University.

Announcing the Chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences

Professor Stephen C. Locke, Ph.D., distinguished member of the Schmidt College of Science, appointed as chair. Read more.

New Faculty Spotlight: Big Data Holds the Link

Yang Li, Ph.D., a new assistant professor in the department of mathematical sciences in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, studies formulas, models, and techniques used in the statistical analysis of research data. Read more.

Student Spotlight with Sunil Giri

Learn about Ph.D. candidate Sunil Giri's research and journey in graduate school, and some tips for current students. Read more.

Alumna Spotlight NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography

Dr. Angela Robinson graduated with a Ph. D. in Spring, 2018. This is her most recent story about her work in cryptography since going on after her studies here at Florida Atlantic University. Read more.

Papiya Bhattacharjee, Ph.D., Receives Distance Learning Innovation Award

The Department of Mathematical Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Papiya Bhattacharjee, Instructor and Graduate Faculty, Florida Atlantic University, received the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) Innovation Award. Read more.

Congratulations!

Congrats to faculty and staff within the Department of Mathematical Sciences who have received Service Awards during 2020 and 2021! Erik Lundberg-5 years; Sonia Clayton-5 years; Yuan Wang-30 years, Lee Klingler-35 years; Tomas Schonbek-50 years! Congratulations!

Emily Cimillo, Budget and Outreach Manage Receives iTHINK Financial Customer Service Award!

Emily ensures efficient and effective use of FAU resources. She also assists faculty with grant proposal submissions and facilitates the department’s community outreach activities. Read more.

NSF Award Shi Bai, Ph.D., has received the coveted National Science Foundation (NSF)
Early Career (CAREER) award. The CAREER program offers the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Shi Bai, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, received this award for his cutting-edge research in the fields of mathematical cryptography. Read more.

Florida Women in Mathematics Day 2020

The AWM chapter hosted its official second annual Florida Women in Mathematics Day-Conference also known as FWIMD. Read more.

51st Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing

The 51st Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing (SEICCGTC) international meeting of mathematical scientists. Read more.

Assistant Professor Receives Grant

Lun-Ching Chang, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor, and a Statistics Advisor recently received a five-year $6.6 million R01 grant to study Alzheimer's. Read more.

$150$ Math Day 2020!

Congratulations to all of our winners! The contest results are posted below. For all who won a cash prize, please check out the Winners' Circle module for details in processing your prize! Read more.

FAU High Student Pursuing Combined Bachelor’s to Master’s in Mathematics

Joining FAU High School his junior year and beginning his coursework at Florida Atlantic in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Kenneth “Alex” Dowling immediately displayed his enthusiasm and exceptional talent for mathematics. Read more.

The Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC)

FURC is one of the nation's largest multi-disciplinary research conferences. It is an annual event open to all undergraduate researchers in the state of Florida. Read more.

Emmanuel Fleurantin Accepted to the Dynamics and Data in the COVID-19 Pandemic Summer Program.

Mr. Emmanuel Fleurantin, a graduate student in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, has been accepted into the Dynamics and data in the COVID-19 pandemic summer program, which will be taught by the American Institute of Mathematics. Read more.

Meet Floyd Johnson - Graduate Assistant

Floyd worked as a research assistant at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. for 10 weeks in the summer of 2019. Read more.

Student Spotlight with Amaury Miniño

Amaury Miniño works with Assistant Professor, Dr. Pamela E. Harris, Ph.D., in continuation of his summer Research Experience for Undergraduates. Read more.

Logical Foundations in Computer Science Conference 2020

The seventh Logical Foundations in Computer Science Conference (LFCS) was held from January 4-7, 2020 at the Wyndham in Deerfield Beach.
Read more.

FAU Hosts the Southeastern Regional Learning Assistant (LA) Workshop

Florida Atlantic University hosted the Southeastern Regional Learning Assistant (LA) Workshop. In addition to presentations and panels with students and faculty on this approach to active learning, the workshop program included classroom visits in two calculus and a chemistry course taught with learning assistants. Read more.

Affordability Counts at FAU

The College of Science’s Methods of Calculus course text and supplemental materials are now free to ensure greater access and affordability to students. Through the State University System of Florida’s Affordability Counts initiative, the FAU Department of Mathematical Sciences began taking steps to advance affordability in its courses. Read More.

2020 Florida GeoGebra Conference

The 2020 Florida GeoGebra Conference served as a forum for teachers, researchers, and innovators to exchange ideas and present pedagogical and mathematical examples of research-based instructional strategies. Read more.

The Fifth Conference on Computational and Mathematical Population Dynamics (CMPD5)

(CMPD5) took place at the Bahia Mar hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA, from May 19 to May 25, 2019. This international conference was attended by more than 200 participants from 17 countries. More than 90 participants were graduate students, post-docs or young faculty up to 5 years post Ph.D. Read more.

Biometric Invention to Enhance Data Security

The Office of Technology Development recently filed a utility patent application for an invention that addresses the problem of biometric data protection at different stages of collection, using simple and intuitive transformation techniques to enhance overall data security and resistance to fraud. Read More.

Dr. Rainer Steinwandt Awarded 2018 NATO Science for Peace and Security Partnership Prize

FAU’s Dr. Rainer Steinwandt was awarded the 2018 NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Partnership Prize at the NATO SPS program’s 60th anniversary on November 29, 2018.

How to Manage Math Anxiety in the Classroom

Watch the video here!