September 16, 2009
{The Blue Banner}
Page 4
Math students accepted to elite program in Moscow
Natalie Rich
By Josh Robinson
Staff Writer
JRROBINS@UNCA.EDU
It’s not often that a college student gets
the chance to study with some of the great
est minds in the world. It’s even rarer
when two students from the same universi
ty receive the same opportunity. But that is
what happened to UNC Asheville’s Austin
Mack and Natalie Rich.
Mack, an 18-year-old junior and Rich, a
23-year-old senior, were accepted to the In
dependent University of Moscow’s “Math
in Moscow” program.
“This is a highly re
spected program and
one of only a few that
specialize in math
ematics. Some of the
best mathematics stu
dents in the world go
through this program.
It’s an exciting spot
for them to be in. And
it’s good to see UNC
Asheville on that list of students (from top
American schools),” said David Peifer,
math department chair and professor.
Peifer is the main reason Mack and Rich
applied to the program.
“1 found out about ‘Math in Moscow’
from a poster on a bulletin board in the
math department when I first came to
UNCAin2007. The program looked great,
but I didn’t seriously consider participating
in the program until a year later when my
advisor Dave Peifer suggested that I ap
ply,” Rich said.
“I had known about this program for
about three years, seeing as it is one of the
best offered anywhere, but it was suggest
ed a lot by my advisor Dr. Peifer,” Mack
said.
Out of the 21 students enrolled in the
“Math in Moscow” program. Mack and
Rich are the only two from the same
school, but it was purely coincidence.
“I didn’t even know that someone else
was applying to this program,” he said.
But in fact Rich had also applied and
been accepted.
“Above all else, we were chosen because
the Russian mathematicians thought we
could do the work,” Rich said.
A student has to really like math to get
this far. Rich and Mack said.
“I reallv eniov stiidvinp the theoretical
aspects of math, the ‘why’ things work the
way they do. It is nice when working on
proving something to finally come to the
end and know that you have just proved
something that you once did not under
stand,” Mack said.
Rich said she agreed. “The thing I love
about math so much is the challenge. I
love testing the limits of my mind and see
ing how well I can understand the material
and do the work as it becomes increasingly
complex and abstract,” she said.
Mack said he feels math comes a bit eas
ier to him than most students, but doesn’t
necessarily think that’s a good thing.
“Sometimes this can lead to doing less
work, knowing I will get it easier, while
others are striving to understand the mate
rial,” he said.
On the other hand. Rich doesn’t share
Mack’s notion of an innate talent for math
ematics.
“It wasn’t any special talent that got me
to the Independent University of Moscow,
it was a refusal to give up in the face of
challenging mathematics. The ability to
work through the initial confusion and to
overcome my frustrations has been instru
mental to my success. I don’t have any
secrets, only patience and perseverance,”
she said.
Mack and Rich plan to hone specific
math skills while studying in Russia. Mack
hasn’t decided which path of mathematics
he wants to specifically pursue just yet.
“There are many different areas of math
ematics, so while studying in this gradu
ate program I hope to discover what area
of mathematics I really enjoy the most
and wish to pursue most intensely, both in
graduate school and research,” he said.
Rich has already narrowed in on what
skill she wishes to enhance and eventually
perfect, she said.
“At the lUM, I want to improve my
proof-writing skills. In general, I want to
become a better mathematical writer,” she
said.
Studying isn’t all Mack and Rich will
be doing throughout their stay in Russia.
They plan to travel and sightsee. Places
like St. Petersburg, Budapest, Finland, Be
larus and the Ukraine are all possibilities,
they said.
Mack and Rich had to begin learning ba
sic Russian before departing for their trip.
“I will be able to learn so much more hv
Pnoto counesy of Austin Mack
Austin Mack, 18, stands outside St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow
living in an environment where only Rus
sian is spoken and not my natural language
of English,” Mack said.
“I only know a few words and phrases so
far, but what I know has proved invaluable
nevertheless,” Rich added.
Rich is looking forward to experiencing
the Russian winter and the ice skating that
inevitably comes with it. She is a former
gymnast who has a love for Russian gym
nastics, and she plans to see a few competi
tions while she’s there.
When Rich returns from her semester
in Russia, she’ll have one semester left at
UNCA.
Mack won’t be coming home just yet.
He ha.s nlans to stav in Moscow to stiidv
for another semester before returning.
“Once I return, I hope to enroll in a sum
mer REU, where I hope to do research at
another university in the U.S. Then when
returning to UNC Asheville, I hope to fin
ish off with more research with our faculty
and finalize graduate school plans,” he
said.
Rich has somewhat similar plans. “Once
I graduate, I plan to take a year off. I am
currently looking into more international
travel, possibly joining the Peace Corps.
After that. I’ll enroll in a Ph.D. program in
pure mathematics. I hope to eventually be
come a professional mathematician; gener
ally that means becoming a professor,” she
said.