Senior and honors mathematics major Andrew Niles has been named a 2008 Churchill Scholar. The Churchill Scholarship is an annual scholarship offered to graduates of participating universities in the United States and Australia to students pursuing engineering, mathematics and sciences. The scholarships are offered to only 12 students in the entire country.
Niles will continue his study of mathematics, pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Study.
“Galileo said that math is the language of the universe. That’s basically how I look at it. I just want to make some contribution to it. You have no idea what fields you may be helping in the long run because mathematics is everywhere,” Niles said.
Niles is expected to graduate in four years with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. He also won the Stoddard Prize, awarded each year to the University’s best sophomore mathematics student.
Niles has participated in the National Science Foundation’s highly selective Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. During his participation in the program, Niles co-authored two papers. He also conducted research on a more than 350-year-old computational algebra problem.
Niles has the support of faculty and administrators who worked with him.
“Andrew has a real thirst for knowledge and a natural ability to integrate ideas from diverse areas of study,” Associate Professor in mathematics Naomi Jochnowitz said. “He’s everything one would want in a student.”
Schneier is a member of the class of 2011.
