Recipients of the Abel Scholarship

Christian was a junior in the BS Statistics Option when he received the scholarship

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It has been a huge honor to receive the Abel Scholarship because I have had the opportunity to learn so much through it!

Over the last year my love for math has gotten deeper and my growth inside the classroom has transformed into growth outside of it.  Math has continued to shape me into a more open-minded, patient, and perseverant person.  The subject also humbles me every day by showing me that many times my ideas are simply not enough to answer hard questions.  It has also taught me that there is no such thing as bad ideas and to never stop learning every day.  These lessons that I take with me on my journey to becoming a mathematician and better person have been priceless.  Of course, this would not have been possible without the help of my wonderful classmates and professors that I have had the opportunity to collaborate with. 

Believe me when I say that my classmates and professors have really been there for me!   My classmates were there for me whether it was by crying with me as we tried to understand why it is a good idea to rotate a chessboard 45 degrees or by demanding me to really think why you should paint some boxes blue first and then the others red.  Each of my professors have been there for me as well by providing their critical feedback, wisdom, and words of encouragement when I needed it the most.  It is without a doubt then that much of the seeds of wisdom I have gained from mathematics in the last year comes from my professors planting them.  I truly could not have grown as much as I have without the help of the mathematics community here at CSUN and I feel loved being a part of it!

Hence, the financial help from the Abel Scholarship made it far easier for me to really process these learning experiences and make the most out of my education this past year.  Now I cannot wait to see what God has in store for math, the future, and I!  If you’re considering applying for this scholarship because you believe it can help you do the same then I highly encourage you to not hesitate.

Gulnaz was a junior in the BS Statistics Option when she received the scholarship.

I am incredibly honored and grateful to have received the Abel Scholarship. 2020 was a challenging year; however, I had an excellent academic year filled with breakthroughs in my understanding of complex math and statistics concepts, along with insights into my future academic and career goals. I made the dean’s list in both semesters, participated in the Summer NSF Bootcamp, and was given the opportunity to participate in the PUMP program. In addition to these incredible academic achievements, I continued working at Valley College as a tutor, and I took a tutoring position at Canoga Park High School along with a position as a grading assistant at CSUN.

I am incredibly excited about what the future holds for me. I applied to several masters programs and a Ph.D. program--I am waiting to hear back. The Abel Scholarship was not only a real help to me during a challenging economic crisis, it also gave me the confidence boost that I needed to aim higher and farther. I am genuinely grateful for the scholarship and the fantastic support I received from all of my professors, fellow students, and associates. I am so proud to be graduating in May 2021, but I could never have achieved this milestone without the support of so many others.

Mark Yi received the Abel Scholarship during his junior year at CSUN in May 2019.

Daniel Rud was a junior in the BS option when he received the Abel Scholarship in 2018.

It is truly an honor to have been a recipient of the Abel Scholarship. In the past year, I have continued my studies in mathematics and computer science and became a teacher's assistant for a course in probability. I also began conducting research with Professor Alekseenko in Gas Dynamics and with Professor Zambom in Natural Language Processing. On the side, I have been tutoring students in mathematics and preparing them for their future academic endeavours.

I aspire to continue my education at the graduate level, inspired by the intellect of my professors and my father. My area of interest is in applied math, specifically statistics. In our technologically advanced world, having knowledge of both mathematics and computers is an extremely desired skill set. In my case, I wish to combine the two in the practice of statistics, where the union of both skills is necessary.

The Abel Scholarship has served as a validation of my academic efforts. It has given me confidence in my academic pursuits, and further drives my aspirations to pursue a PhD program. Opportunities like the Abel Scholarship truly help students strive for and ultimately achieve success!

Isnayni Hadi was a junior in the BS option when she received the Abel Scholarship in 2017.

I am incredibly humbled and honored to have been chosen for this scholarship. Since the Abel Scholarship, I've participated in the PUMP (Preparing Undergraduates through Mentoring Towards Ph.D. s) program where I learned Real Analysis, Advanced Linear Algebra and participated in a workshop for the GRE Math Subject Test. A few months after PUMP, I had the privilege of attending the Field of Dreams Conference. Overall, I learned a lot about Ph.D. programs and mathematical research. This summer, I am participating in the ICERM program "Low Dimensional Topology and Geometry" at Brown University

Reflecting back on my experiences this past year, I strongly believe that receiving the Abel Scholarship influenced my goal in pursing a Ph.D. It encouraged me to work hard towards my goal, and reminded me that I have people who believe and support me. I am genuinely thankful for the Abel Scholarship Committee and the entire faculty and staff of the Math Department.

Zackaria Movahedi received the Abel Scholarship during his junior year at CSUN in May 2016.

Mathematics has always been a subject that I took great interest in. The hard work I put into my studies paid off because I made the Dean’s List in Spring semester 2013, Fall semester 2013, and Fall semester 2014 at CSUN. In September 2013, I became a part-time Instructional Student Assistant in the CSUN Department of Mathematics. It was an enlightening experience for me as I got to know some of the students in the CSUN Mathematics Department. My instructors were an inspiration to me and very supportive. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Majid Mojirsheibani for nominating me for the Abel Scholarship. I am sincerely grateful for being chosen as one of the recipients for this outstanding award. My goals are to work toward getting my Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Master of Science degree in Mathematics, and Ph.D. degree in Pure Mathematics. In addition to that, I want to become a mathematics professor at a university.

Miriam Ramirez was a junior in the BS option when she received the scholarship. (The scholarship was split equally between Miriam Ramirez and Sangman Lee.)

Since receiving the Abel Scholarship in my junior year, my life has become centered around Mathematics. I had the wonderful experience of participating in the PUMP summer program, where I learned about Analysis, Advanced Calculus, and Linear Algebra. After the summer I was fortunate enough to attend the Field of Dreams Conference and to participate in the F-GAP program. Currently, I'm involved in the PUMP Undergraduate Research Group program, where I have had the opportunity to conduct research in Number Theory. Through my involvement with PUMP I have been able to present my research at two conferences, JMM and NCUWM. I am graduating this semester and will be continuing my education in the Master's program at CSUN.

The Abel Scholarship served as a catalyst for my mathematical endeavors outside the classroom. Receiving the Abel Scholarship gave me confidence both in myself and in my abilities. I would like to give special thanks to Professor Fuller; it was his encouragement and support that gave me the confidence to apply.  I would also like to thank  Dr. Lien and the Abel scholarship committee for granting me this award.

Sangman Lee was a junior in the BS option when he received the scholarship. (The scholarship was split equally between Miriam Ramirez and Sangman Lee.)

Having seen many inspiring sophomores and juniors in CSUN Math Department who could have received the Abel Scholarship, I am truly humbled to be selected. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Katz, Dr. Fernandez, and Dr. Panferov who nominated me for the Abel Scholarship.

I am an international student majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Computer Science. Also, I am a mathematics Instructional Student Assistant at CSUN.

I am one of the people who think mathematics is intrinsically valuable even without its numerous applications (although the applications are great). Hence, my goals are to keep learning mathematics until I cannot mentally process it anymore and contributing to mathematics for the greater good. As the first step of the contribution, I am currently working on a research project with Dr. Katz and Jake Sapozhnikov. After I graduate, my plan is to earn a PhD in mathematics. Thereafter, I will contribute to mathematics with more efficiency in every possible way.

Lindsey Justice was a junior in the BA Option when she received the scholarship.

Receiving the Abel Scholarship has been a highlight of my academic career in the Mathematics Department at Cal-State Northridge, and I am deeply appreciative of this honor. As I look forward to graduation, I am increasingly grateful for what I have been able to learn as an undergraduate student in the department. I am proud of all that I have been able to achieve, and I am excited to pursue the next phase of my life upon graduating with my degree.

I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Jing Li and Dr. Katherine Stevenson for nominating me for the Abel Scholarship, as well as Dr. Magnhild Lien and the Abel Scholarship Committee for selecting me to receive this award. I would also like to thank the faculty and staff in the CSUN Mathematics Department for their academic instruction and encouragement. Additionally, I would like to thank the faculty and staff in the Mathematics Department at Antelope Valley College, where I received my Associate of Science degree in Mathematics. In particular, I would like to thank Professors Nancy Cholvin, Tooraj Gordi, and Rebecca Kitto at Antelope Valley College for their positive influence in my decision to pursue mathematics as my undergraduate major.

I believe mathematics is an excellent choice for an undergraduate degree since the qualities that it instills in its students, such as logical and critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a strong work ethic, can be utilized in essentially any desired career. For this reason, I am considering many different options for my future, and I feel confident that my mathematics degree will help me to succeed in any career that I choose. 

Raemeon Cowan was a junior in the BS Option when he received the scholarship. 

I am an avid math enthusiast, but the personal qualities that truly account for what I do as an individual are determination and curiosity. While there are people who attest to being determined, few have ever challenged themselves as I have done this past year. I now know and have experience with conducting Mathematical Research in Number Theory, Mathematical Climate Science, Complex Variables, Partial Differential Equations, Grad. Topology, Probability, Number Theory, Intro. Algebraic Geometry, Galios Theory, Grad. Real Analysis and Grad. Algebraic Number Theory.

Those around me frequently ask the reasons as to why I push myself to the “limit”, and I have often wondered about that myself. The fact of the matter is that I am curious about mathematics and I do wish to learn all there is about math. In fact, in spring 2013, my math department awarded me the Abel Scholarship given once a year to an aspiring math major.

Throughout my life, there have been many who doubted a lucrative future in mathematics and suggested I adopt more practical career goals. Despite these detractors, my passion for the subject endures and is perhaps stronger than ever.

My goals are to continue my education eventually earning a Ph.D. in mathematics. I hope to someday teach at a university enlightening the people who care about math as much as I do. I am currently in my third year at CSUN double majoring in mathematics and electrical engineering. During each semester, I work part time as a tutor for the mathematics department covering a variety of upper and lower division classes. Above any other subject, mathematics has always held my curiosity starting at a very young age. From then on, I was obsessed with knowing more. My favorite subjects today are trigonometry, differential equations, abstract algebra and number theory.

My most recent achievements are the Abel Scholarship and making the Dean’s list for Fall 2013. My recent extracurricular activities are conducting a research project on polynomials over finite fields and rings. We are now investigating the Igusa Zeta function and Poincare Series and we’ve almost finished classifying the coefficients of the Poincare series for all quadratic polynomials. Last summer I went to Ohio State University to do a math program for minority students that taught topology, real analysis, abstract algebra and differential equations. While attending this program, I had the opportunity to study along with OSU’s graduate students preparing for their abstract algebra qualifying exams. At the end of the program, I attended the Young Mathematician’s Conference. The summer before that I did a summer program at my institution that taught linear algebra, real analysis and topology called the P. U. M. P. program. I’ve also had the privilege of attending the Field of Dreams Conference twice.

Katherine was a junior in the BS Option when she received the scholarship.

After receiving the Abel Scholarship in my junior year, I also applied and received many other scholarships. I applied and received the Noyce Scholarship where I met many interesting people in the field. Through the Noyce seminars, I found Upward Bound where I now volunteer my time teaching mathematics on Saturdays and have found many wonderful connections. I participated in the PUMP program in summer 2012 which was an intense and joyful experience where I learned a lot of mathematics and enjoyed time with other mathematicians. I will be graduating with honors in May 2013 with a B.S. in Mathematics. I plan to enter the credential program here at CSUN in fall 2013 and at some time in the future come back and complete a Master’s degree in mathematics. Thank you to the math department and faculty for this award and confidence in me.

Andrew was a junior in the BS Statistics Option when he received the scholarship.

After receiving the Abel scholarship I also received the Presidential Scholarship, which entails its recipients to work on a project for one year with a faculty mentor. My project was to develop and analyze game theory models in various fields, under the guidance of Dr. Mark Schilling. My main goals of this project were to have a deeper understanding of the theoretical background of this subject and create new models in areas which have not been considered. In addition during the past summer I also participated in a Light Optimization Project, which was supervised by Dr. Ramin Vakilian. Not only did we present our findings at a Southern California MAA meeting at CSULA but also at the national joint AMS/MAA meeting in Boston. I expect to graduate this semester and hope to return next year as a graduate student.
I want to thank Dr. Magnhild Lien and the Abel Scholarship committee for having faith

Johanna was a sophomore in the BA Secondary Teaching Option when she received the scholarship.

Since receiving the Abel Scholarship my sophomore year, I have become involved in other activities at CSUN. During the summer of 2010 I participated in the PUMP summer program for undergraduate students. I also received the Noyce Scholarship and became involved with the Noyce program. Being a part of Noyce has given me the opportunity to work alongside other students and professors who also share a passion for Mathematics. Attending our weekly seminars I am able to share my experiences as a tutor at San Fernando High School and learn from others how to be a better teacher. As for future aspirations, I hope to be accepted to the JYI Math program and graduate in the Spring of 2013. I want to thank the Math department and the wonderful faculty for this award and for all of their help and continued support.

William was a sophomore in the BS Applied Math Option when he received the scholarship.

Since I received the Abel Scholarship, things have been going great. I worked on a  research project the following year after I received the Abel Scholarship and have since worked on various other projects. I worked very closely with a fellow undergraduate and a fellow graduate student on a project last summer, which we have since continued and are attempting to submit to possibly get published. So we’re all very excited for that. This last spring semester I have been working on a project with Dr. D’Orsogna. We’ve been working on a continuation of a paper that she published recently so it’s been a great learning experience. This summer I plan to work with Dr. Vakilian on a project at CSUN involving optimization. So things have been going extremely well. I’ve also since applied for the McNair Scholarship and (upon verification of my graduation date), I will be one of the recipients of this scholarship. For the rest of the year, in addition to going to school, I’ll be preparing for the GREs and will be gearing up for applying for graduate school soon.

Tracey Low was a sophomore in the BA Four-Year Integrated Teaching Option when she received the scholarship.

I continued with my education at California State University Northridge after receiving the Abel Scholarship. In May 2010, I will graduate Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and a single subject teaching credential. While finishing my coursework, I became an active member of the AVID tutoring team to help high school students prepare for the challenges of college. This past year through my student teaching, I have had some amazing experiences. I absolutely love teaching! I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I know that the doorway to mathematics has been opened for the young minds of our future generation. I hope to have a full time teaching position in the fall. I also plan to continue with graduate courses in education to broaden my knowledge of new teaching methods. Thank you to the math department and the wonderful faculty for this award. I really appreciate all of your help and continued support.

Robert was a junior in the BA Four-Year Integrated Teaching Option when he received the scholarship.

Since receiving the Abel scholarship my junior year at CSUN, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Mathematics as well as a Preliminary Teaching Credential. I took one year off of attending school and began to teach at John Burroughs High School in Burbank. I could not stay away from challenging myself through mathematics long and returned to CSUN to work on my M.A. in Mathematics, the pure math option, after one year. Currently, I am juggling teaching at Luther Burbank Middle School and taking graduate classes. After getting my masters in Mathematics, I hope to get a PhD in Education and possibly pursue teaching at a community college or working on mathematics reform in California secondary schools.

Cynthia was a junior in the BA Math Option when she received the scholarship.

Since receiving the Abel Scholarship, I have had many wonderful opportunities including participating in CSUN's PUMP (Preparing Undergraduates through Mentoring for PhDs); participating in an international research experience at the Universidade do Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I co-authored a manuscript titled "Numerical Simulation of Potential Fluid Flows using the Finite Element Method;" attended the Master's Program at CSUN by completing my Master's Thesis project titled "Manifold's with nonnegative Isotropic Ricci curvature;" participated in an NSF funded GK-12 program, and I am now attending the graduate program at UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara). I am currently interested in partial differential equations with the hope of learning the Ricci Flow.
Thank you very much for believing in me!