New CSEM Student Representatives Discuss Goals, Student Life

As the 2023-2024 academic year begins, students in the Computational Science and Mathematics (CSEM) graduate program at the Oden Institute of Computational Engineering and Sciences have elected four of their peers to lead activities and programs that enhance student life. 

This year’s student representatives exemplify the unique range of interdisciplinary interests that the Oden Institute supports.

Ice hockey aficionado and coffee lover Kenneth Meyer aspires to “never miss a Lucky Lab double punch day” during his time as Ombudsperson. He studies cardiovascular mechanics at the Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation, where he is currently working with heart valves. He also shared his interest in isogeometric analysis and machine learning.

Eboni Williams, Recruitment Chair, studies computational chemistry through the lens of machine learning. She is also exploring “density functional theory, Monte Carlo algorithms, catalysis, quantum chemistry, and quantum computing” in her work in the Center for  Computational Molecular Sciences. Eboni is a reader at heart, willing to sacrifice sleep to finish up a good book. She also finds joy in slash and hack video games and solving puzzles.

Social Chair and aspiring electric guitarist Bugra Yalcin is a computational nanotechnologist who studies fluids at the nanoscale. In order to match computational results with experiments in a cost-effective manner, he develops methods based on applied mathematics and deep learning at the Multiscale Engineering, Mathematics, and Sciences Group. 

Kenton Wu, who also serves as Social Chair, is guided by “understanding and predicting the impacts of climate change” as he seeks to utilize applied mathematics and computing to “solve complex physics in an accurate, stable, and scalable way” in the Computational Hydraulics Group. These ideas have spurred his interest in numerical methods, variational data assimilation, and unconventional computing.  Kenton’s dedication to research is matched only by his love for photography and passion for Civilization V.

However disparate these representatives' personal and professional interests may seem, they share common ground when asked about their view on the deeply collaborative nature of student life at the Oden Institute. According to Kenneth, “Students will often trouble-shoot problems and work on material together even if they’re working in entirely different application areas.” Bugra agreed, noting that the sheer variety of backgrounds that students stem from creates “a necessity to support one another.”

Beyond the institute’s uniquely interdisciplinary spirit, Kenton finds another common thread that ties students together: “No grad students are absolute jocks like they are here at Oden,” he joked, calling many students and professors’ shared passion for running, biking, and kayaking the "swole-den way." 

Eboni, Kenton, Kenneth, and Bugra are tasked with collaborating to represent the interests of their fellow students to the Graduate Studies Committee. They will also work to foster a sense of community and inclusivity at the Oden Institute, by arranging student social events, fostering student-faculty relationships, and assisting with graduate recruitment. 

Eboni hopes to utilize her position as Recruitment Chair to help prospective graduate students. “I just want others to see how wonderful the Oden Institute is,” calling her choice to pursue graduate education here “one of the best decisions of her life.”

Kenton emphasized the panel’s commitment to ameliorating the loneliness and isolation many graduate students struggle with by creating a diverse and inclusive psychologically safe environment where each student believes that they can be a leader.

Student organizations and leadership opportunities such as the CSEM Student Representative program are a cornerstone of the Oden Institute graduate experience, providing valuable experiences and the ability to strengthen connections with peers and faculty. Interested students can find more information on CSEM student leadership and other opportunities here.