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Michael Manta, a fourth-year student pursuing mathematics, has received the esteemed Knight-Hennessy scholarship for graduate education at Stanford University.
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars initiative supports individuals who exhibit leadership, independent thought, and a dedication to creating a positive influence on the world, offering up to three years of financial aid for graduate studies in any of Stanford’s disciplines. Manta will work towards a PhD in computational and mathematical engineering at Stanford’s School of Engineering.
“I am extremely thankful and privileged to be part of the Knight-Hennessy program,” Manta states. “I am particularly enthusiastic about connecting with leaders across various fields and industries, all driven by a shared ambition to contribute positively to society and foster social progress.” Manta expresses his desire to apply the expertise acquired at Caltech in his PhD studies and leave a significant impact in science, emulating other alumni of the Institute.
At Caltech, Manta established a robust grounding in theoretical mathematics and is eager to investigate the convergence of mathematics and contemporary computational techniques for resolving partial differential equations. His research undertakings encompass themes in mathematical physics and operator learning, including a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) with David Conlon, a mathematics professor at Caltech; an academic-year research initiative with Matilde Marcolli, Caltech’s Robert F. Christy Professor of Mathematics and Computing and Mathematical Sciences; and a summer project with Yakov Berchenko-Kogan (BS ’11), an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Systems Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology. Manta notes that collaborating with Berchenko-Kogan motivated him to delve deeper into the relationship between pure mathematics and computational mathematics to create novel solutions for partial differential equations.
Manta is additionally engaged in research under Andrew Stuart, Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech, and he expresses interest in utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence to tackle real-world problems.
Beyond his research endeavors, Manta has been an actively involved member of the Caltech community, having served as a teaching assistant for Ma 1 c (Vector Calculus) and as a participant in the Undergraduate Student Advisory Board for Caltech’s Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, where he advocated for mathematics students to enhance access to academic resources and seminars while fostering a more inclusive environment within the department.
As a research ambassador for Caltech’s Student Faculty Programs, Manta guided fellow students engaged in undergraduate research and organized informative sessions about the SURF program. He also volunteered to connect with prospective Caltech students, sharing his journey as a math major and promoting the mathematics program.
At Stanford, Manta expresses excitement about expanding his foundations in pure mathematics to address manageable challenges in computational mathematics and engineering. He aims to produce influential research that bridges various fields and propels innovation within both academia and industry.
“I am enthusiastic about maximizing my experience at Stanford through this fellowship and integrating into this community of like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds,” Manta remarks.
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