{"id":2103,"date":"2022-12-02T09:49:50","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T14:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/?page_id=2103"},"modified":"2022-12-22T09:55:32","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T14:55:32","slug":"new-retiring-faculty","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/2022-issue\/new-retiring-faculty\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty Notes, New &amp; Retiring Faculty"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; module_id=&#8221;larsson&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;29px||15px|||&#8221; bottom_divider_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; bottom_divider_height=&#8221;60px&#8221; bottom_divider_flip=&#8221;horizontal&#8221; border_width_top=&#8221;15px&#8221; border_color_top=&#8221;#172741&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;2_3,1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Open Sans||on|on|||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;31px&#8221; header_letter_spacing=&#8221;-0.3px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<hr style=\"height: 3px;border-width: 0;color: #fbba74a8;background-color: #fbba74a8\" \/>\n<h1>Faculty Notes<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Open Sans|600||on|||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; header_font_size=&#8221;55px&#8221; header_letter_spacing=&#8221;-0.3px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset2&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>New  Faculty<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,2_3&#8243; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/2022_noha_abdelghany.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;photo of Noha Abdelghany&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Noha Abdelghany&#8217;s profile on the Mathematical Sciences website&#8221; align=&#8221;right&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; max_width=&#8221;85%&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;zoom&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; box_shadow_blur=&#8221;5px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/math\/people\/faculty\/abdelghany.html&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; overlay_icon_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; hover_overlay_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0.3)&#8221; hover_icon=&#8221;&#x3d;||divi||400&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|600||||||#EAAA21|&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; header_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; header_3_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: left\">NOHA ABDELGHANY<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Noha Abdelghany comes from a family of teachers. Her mother is a teacher. Her three older sisters went to college to be teachers. As the middle sister (she also has three younger sisters), Abdelghany was determined to do something different. She decided to pursue a degree in computer science, but she took a class her first year that changed everything. The class was a mix of mathematical logic and set theory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just fell in love with it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was the best class that I had ever taken at that time. I would do my computer science homework really quickly and get back to the math.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even though math sparked something inside of her, she didn\u2019t really consider pursuing a degree in mathematics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was a little resistant because I didn\u2019t want to be a teacher. And that was the only thing that came to mind. If I\u2019m going to major in math, my only career option is to be a teacher,\u201d said Abdelghany, an assistant teaching professor of mathematical sciences.<\/p>\n<p>But Abdelghany realized that math was her passion, so she switched majors, earning her bachelor\u2019s of science in mathematics from Cairo University and her Ph.D. at Western Michigan University. Her research interests are in algebraic coding theory, the math that\u2019s behind-the-scenes of many areas of communications, including television, email and text messaging. In her research, Abdelghany works to design error-correcting codes that can reliably transmit information across noisy channels.<\/p>\n<p>Abdelghany loves doing research \u2014 but here\u2019s the ironic part \u2014 she ended up loving teaching more than anything.<\/p>\n<p>Seeing students actually getting it, seeing that light bulb go on, is rewarding for Abdelghany. And she also sees the value in being herself \u2014 a female mathematician \u2014 and how important it is for students to see relatable role models. As a visiting assistant professor at Colby College, Abdelghany interacted with a lot of minority math students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey would come to me and say: I loved it when I saw you in the classroom. It was really nice to see someone who is not the standard older white male. Seeing you, I feel like I can achieve something,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>For someone who did not want to be a teacher, Abdelghany has found her calling. And she doesn\u2019t hesitate to pass along her wisdom to her students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem-solving skills and critical-thinking skills you learn from majoring in math put you on the path to do anything you set your mind to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><em>\u25a0 Amy Pavlak Laird<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; module_id=&#8221;larsson&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_enable_color=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;29px||15px|||&#8221; top_divider_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; top_divider_height=&#8221;50px&#8221; top_divider_flip=&#8221;horizontal&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;2_3,1_3&#8243; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|600||||||#EAAA21|&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; header_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; header_3_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: right\">THERESA ANDERSON<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Theresa Anderson never set out to be a mathematician. She was creative \u2014 she liked the arts and languages \u2014 and math just seemed too rigid. But then she took her first college-level math course. It was a proof-based course, and she got a taste of how much creativity was involved in coming up with mathematical discoveries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was just so liberating, seeing the creative aspect of math and seeing that yes, the way I think has a place here,\u201d said Anderson, an assistant professor of mathematical sciences.<\/p>\n<p>Sixteen years after that inspiring math class, Anderson still gravitates toward math problems that are not so rigid, ones that she can approach from a variety of perspectives. Her area of expertise is in harmonic analysis and number theory, two fields that may seem like a non-traditional pairing, but make perfect sense to Anderson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI tend to connect areas of mathematics and not constrain myself. I pull techniques from a variety of fields and go out of my comfort zone to explore new things,\u201d said Anderson, who earned a master\u2019s degree and Ph.D. in mathematics from Brown University and completed an NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<\/p>\n<p>Along the way she\u2019s discovered that her unconventional way of approaching mathematical problems is inspiring to students, including the fact that she herself \u2014 a woman doing math \u2014 is still somewhat unconventional. In Anderson\u2019s experience, just being that face on the web page is huge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople see that, and it\u2019s very powerful. Oh look, it\u2019s a woman. Students will just come and talk to me, and those talks oftentimes lead to mentoring relationships,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson plans to continue fostering those types of relationships in her role at Carnegie Mellon, especially when it comes to supporting minority students interested in math. Anderson\u2019s family is not white, and her experiences as a white member of a minority community have shifted her perspective.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think for people who don\u2019t have that perspective, they just have no idea. That\u2019s one of the things I want to try to help with \u2014 getting the next generation more involved and more aware of how small things can actually have big impacts on minority communities,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I have in mind throughout my teaching, whether it be a math course or a social justice course: to open a student\u2019s mind to not just fill it with information but also to open it to different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><em>\u25a0 Amy Pavlak Laird<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/2022_theresa_anderson.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;photo of Theresa Anderson&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Theresa Anderson&#8217;s profile on the Mathematical Sciences website&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; max_width=&#8221;85%&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;zoom&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; box_shadow_blur=&#8221;5px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/math\/people\/faculty\/anderson.html&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; overlay_icon_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; hover_overlay_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0.3)&#8221; hover_icon=&#8221;&#x3d;||divi||400&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; module_id=&#8221;larsson&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;29px||15px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,2_3&#8243; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/2022_konstantin_tikhomirov.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;photo of Konstantin Tikhomirov&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Konstantin Tikhomirov&#8217;s profile on the Mathematical Sciences website&#8221; align=&#8221;right&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(251,186,116,0.66)&#8221; max_width=&#8221;85%&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;zoom&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; box_shadow_blur=&#8221;5px&#8221; box_shadow_color=&#8221;#192957&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/math\/people\/faculty\/tikhomirov.html&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; overlay_icon_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; hover_overlay_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0.3)&#8221; hover_icon=&#8221;&#x3d;||divi||400&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|600||||||#EAAA21|&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; header_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; header_3_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: left\">KONSTANTIN TIKHOMIROV<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]As a child, Konstantin Tikhomirov couldn\u2019t wait for the school math competitions, where he\u2019d happily spend hours solving math puzzles. He pursued his interests in applied math and information technology as an undergraduate student at Samara State University in Russia with thoughts of possibly becoming a professor. But finding an academic position in Russia was difficult, so he switched his career aspiration to something that seemed more realistic \u2014 software engineering. Upon graduation, he took a job as a software engineer. But something was missing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI realized that there are truly gifted software engineers who set up companies and create beautiful products. I felt that my personality is not of that type. Whereas in math, I\u2019ve always had feelings that I can do much more,\u201d said Tikhomirov, an associate professor of mathematical sciences.<\/p>\n<p>Tikhomirov started taking graduate courses in math while working part-time at a software company. He earned a candidate of sciences degree in Pure Mathematics at Samara State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Canada. Between his undergraduate degree in applied math and his software engineering job, Tikhomirov lost touch with his long-standing interest in pure math questions. During his doctoral work, he found himself back in familiar territory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was attracted to beautiful proofs, aesthetically pleasing statements with no real sort of applications,\u201d he said. But then he began working on questions in probability, and things started to shift.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would say now, when I work on a question, I have in mind this applied perspective,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean I see the engineering applications of my work, but I hope that a method that I develop along the way can be useful in some applied context.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Much of Tikhomirov\u2019s research has focused on asymptotic geometric analysis, random matrices, probability theory and convex geometry. He recently started to work on topics in probabilistic combinatorics \u2014 a hybrid of probability and combinatorics, where the main object of study is probability distributions on discrete structures. Tikhomirov is especially interested in questions related to random graphs, including graph matching. Tikhomirov\u2019s career has taken him to many different places \u2014 Russia, Canada, Princeton, Berkeley, Atlanta \u2014 and he is excited to call Pittsburgh home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCarnegie Mellon\u2019s math department is famous for several directions, especially combinatorics and probabilistic combinatorics,\u201d Tikhomirov said. \u201cIn that respect, the department is perfect for my research interests.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><em>\u25a0 Amy Pavlak Laird<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; module_id=&#8221;larsson&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#172741&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;29px||15px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Open Sans|600||on|||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;55px&#8221; header_letter_spacing=&#8221;-0.3px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; header_text_shadow_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>Retiring Faculty<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,2_3&#8243; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#E0E0E0&#8243; background_enable_image=&#8221;off&#8221; background_enable_pattern_style=&#8221;on&#8221; background_pattern_style=&#8221;diagonal-stripes-2&#8243; background_pattern_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0.15)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/2022_bob_pego.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;photo of Bob Pego&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Bob Pego&#8221; align=&#8221;right&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.3&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#E0E0E0&#8243; max_width=&#8221;85%&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;zoom&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; box_shadow_blur=&#8221;5px&#8221; box_shadow_color=&#8221;#192957&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_enable_color=&#8221;off&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|600||||||#EAAA21|&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; header_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; header_3_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: left\">BOB PEGO<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>Throughout his 40-year career, Bob Pego has come to expect the unexpected. The discovery of a surprising formula led to years of exciting research, and collaborations spurred creative new research directions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always nice to see these directions flourish unexpectedly,\u201d said Pego, an emeritus professor of mathematical sciences. \u201cBeing a mathematician with the freedom to chase after those things is a really good situation to be in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after arriving at Carnegie Mellon University in 2004, Pego\u2019s research took off in a completely different way after he and a colleague found a novel formula for the pressure in the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible fluid flow. That discovery led to a series of papers over the next few years. His work on nonlinear waves also changed course thanks to the insight of a visiting Japanese mathematician. Together with Tetsu Mizumachi from Hiroshima and Shuming Sun from Virginia Tech, Pego made progress on stability of solitary waves, including solitary water waves. Pego\u2019s research interests are broad but generally concern dynamical behavior in nonlinear partial differential equations that model a wide range of phenomena. Some of those events include incompressible fluid flow, water waves, coagulation dynamics \u2014 and the size distribution of schooling ocean fish.<\/p>\n<p>Pego and his collaborators Jian-Guo Liu and Pierre Degond were fascinated by studies done by a Japanese fisheries scientist. They knew they had something to offer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew that the kind of models we were studying, in principle, were capable of describing this size distribution,\u201d Pego said. \u201cBut in the end, the research involved some lovely new math for generating functions of sequences of moments, which is related to work of Hausdorff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, Pego has found joy in interacting with colleagues and students. While at CMU, he advised six Ph.D. students and several undergraduates pursuing honors theses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was always some problem you can pose and have young people work on it in exciting ways,\u201d he said. \u201cWith each one, it was a wonderful adventure in discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As he heads into retirement, Pego plans to tackle his backlog of research issues, with the goal of getting together more often and for longer stretches with his collaborators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI find it best to work in teams, with people I can bounce ideas off of,\u201d he said. \u201cThe number of times where it seems like you are leapfrogging with the other person \u2014 there\u2019s one good idea, and another good idea that just stacks on top of it \u2014 it turns into something really unexpected. It\u2019s been an amazing ride.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><em>\u25a0 Amy Pavlak Laird<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#e0e0e0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;30px|0px|30px|0px|false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|0|0px|false|false&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjIwNjQifX0=@&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Faculty Notes, Awards&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;button_url&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_color=&#8221;#00687f&#8221; button_border_width=&#8221;0px&#8221; button_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; button_icon=&#8221;&#x23;||divi||400&#8243; button_icon_color=&#8221;#00687f&#8221; button_icon_placement=&#8221;left&#8221; button_on_hover=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; button_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjIyMDUifX0=@&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Faculty Notes \/Staff News&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;right&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.2&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;button_url&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_color=&#8221;#00687f&#8221; button_border_width=&#8221;0px&#8221; button_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; button_icon=&#8221;&#x24;||divi||400&#8243; button_icon_color=&#8221;#00687f&#8221; button_on_hover=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; button_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Faculty NotesNew FacultyNOHA ABDELGHANYNoha Abdelghany comes from a family of teachers. Her mother is a teacher. Her three older sisters went to college to be teachers. As the middle sister (she also has three younger sisters), Abdelghany was determined to do something different. She decided to pursue a degree in computer science, but she took [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":1992,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2103","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2103"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2747,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2103\/revisions\/2747"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/math\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}