President's Report Masthead
March 31, 2014

Senior wins national math award

Chaoren Lin with Anton Schick
Chaoren Lin is congratulated by Anton Schick, chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Chaoren Lin’s greatest dream is to solve one of the world’s most important math problems. After becoming a winner of the national Waldemar J. Trjitzinsky Awards, he moved one step closer to realizing that goal.

Lin, a senior majoring in math and computer science, was one of only eight winners of the American Mathematical Society award in the U.S. and the first SUNY winner since 2007.

“It always feels good to be considered for something, and then win it,” Lin says. “I had never won anything like this before.”

The criteria for the award is based on both academic merit and financial need. Lin was selected as a finalist based on his grade point average, and was then interviewed about his goals and how he would spend the $3,000 prize.

With the burdens of student loans always resting heavily on his shoulders, the Brooklyn native could think of no better use for the money.

“All the money is going toward my student loans,” Lin says. “It really helps, especially because I want to go to grad school. Right now, getting into grad school is my goal.”

Read more in Harpur Perspective