Department of Mathematics

Graduate Students

Anahita Babaie
Anahita Babaie
PhD student

I'm Anahita (Anna) Babaie. I earned my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. My master's thesis, supervised by Dr. Kasra Alishahi, focused on the mathematical aspects of the generalization of deep neural networks. After graduation, I worked as a data scientist, tackling problems such as recommender systems and ads click-through rate (CTR) prediction. My research interests include optimiztion, statistics, probability, and related areas. 

Polyana Benk
Polyana Benk
PhD Student
781-736-3095 Goldsmith 306
Chloe Boatright
Chloe Boatright
PhD student
Pronouns: she/her

I am a first year PhD student interested in geometric group theory as it relates to algebraic topology. Previously, I graduated in 2024 from Skidmore College with a double major in mathematics and computer science and a minor in physics. Outside of mathematics, I also enjoy music, cooking, and writing.

Matthew Decker
Master's Program Student
781-736-3096 Goldsmith 113
Sarah Dennis
Sarah Dennis
PhD Student
Graduate Student Representative
Goldsmith 104
Office Hours: 781-736-3088

Sarah received a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and computer science from Sarah Lawrence College in 2020, and is now pursuing a PhD in applied mathematics at Brandeis University. Their research interests are in mathematical modelling, numerical analysis and scientific computing. Presently they are focusing on problems in thin fluid dynamics. In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing video games, roller skating and admiring cats.

Jonathan Fang
PhD Student
Goldsmith 102
John Michael Figueroa
PhD Student
781-736-3095 Goldsmith 106
Neha Goregaokar
Neha Goregaokar
PhD Student
781-736-3081 Goldsmith 103

Neha is currently a second year PhD student at Brandeis and is interested in graph theory and combinatorics. In her free time, she enjoys solving crosswords, playing scrabble, and hiking. 

Ruoyu (Tony) Guo
Ruoyu (Tony) Guo
PhD Student
781-736-3084 Goldsmith 311
Xiaoying He
Xiaoying He
PhD Student
781-736-3083 Goldsmith 306
Alan Hou
PhD Student
781-736-3081 Goldsmith 102
John Houley
PhD student
Goldsmith 111
Rachmiel "Rocky" Klein
Rachmiel "Rocky" Klein
PhD Student
781-736-3050 Goldsmith 115
Pronouns: he/him/his

I am a PhD student in math working with Dr. Carolyn Abbott in geometric group theory. Before that, I studied math at UCLA with minors in philosophy and coding. I enjoy playing guitar, exploring, having philosophical debates, and living with intentionality. Most americans pronounce my name [ˈɹɑχ-mi-ˌɛɫ] which is fine with me. Here is something to ponder: is the sentence "The king of France is bald" true, false, or some third thing? Ask me about it!

Randall Leath
Post-Baccalaureate student
Alex Leighton
Alex Leighton
PhD Student
781-736-3095 Goldsmith 111

I am a PhD student interested in Algebraic Topology. Before my PhD, I did my undergraduate degree in Math with Computer Science (18c) at MIT and was a post-bach researcher at Harvard Medical School in Bioinformatics. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and chess.

Ying Lu
M.A. student
Goldsmith 105

Ying Lu is a mathematical explorer on a quest for knowledge, currently navigating the intricate world of mathematics at the graduate level. With a rich academic tapestry woven from social work and economics, Ying Lu is passionate about understanding the forces that shape our society. Since 2020, the thrilling realm of cryptocurrency has fascinated Ying Lu, blending finance with cutting-edge technology.

When not buried in numbers or crypto trends, Ying Lu races through the vibrant tracks of Kartrider, a beloved game that has been a constant companion since childhood. Balancing analytical rigor with a love for gaming, Ying Lu is excited to uncover innovative solutions that bridge the gap between math, technology, and social impact. 

Yuichi Miyake
Master's Program Student
781-736-6057 Goldsmith 105
Amalya Murrill
Post-Baccalaureate Student
781-736-6057 Goldsmith 105
Vasilii Nekrasov
PhD Student
781-736-3081 Goldsmith 103
Joshua Perlmutter
Joshua Perlmutter
PhD Student
Graduate Student Representative
781-736-3084 Goldsmith 115

Josh received his BA in Mathematics and Physics with a minor in Astronomy at Dartmouth College. He is pursuing a PhD in Mathematics at Brandeis, with Algebra as his main area of interest. Josh is an avid movie watcher and amateur film maker. 

Tudor Popescu
Tudor Popescu
PhD Student
Graduate Department Representative
781-736-3083 Goldsmith 306

Tudor graduated Carnegie Mellon University with a BS in Mathematics and a minor in Philosophy. He is mainly interested in Number Theory, but also enjoys Algebra and Combinatorics, and loves to study the interactions between the three. In his free time, he enjoys fencing and playing basketball.

Haochen Qiu

Haochen received his BS in Mathematics at Fudan University in China. He is pursuing a Mathematics PhD at Brandeis to study topology. In his free time, he loves Chinese calligraphy.

Kaitlin Ragosta
Kaitlin Ragosta
PhD Student
781-736-3088 Goldsmith 104

Katie received BAs in Physics and Mathematics and an MA in Mathematics from Boston University. She is pursuing a Mathematics PhD at Brandeis to study algebra and geometry with the goal of working at a research university. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and making quilts.

Rebecca Rohrlich
Rebecca Rohrlich
PhD Student
781-736-3083 Goldsmith 306
Alex Semendinger
Alex Semendinger
PhD Student
781-736-3087 Goldsmith 102
Kamryn Spinelli
Kamryn Spinelli
PhD Student
781-736- 3095 Goldsmith 311
Sreshta Venkatakrishnan
Sreshta Venkatakrishnan
PhD Student
781-736-3083 Goldsmith 306

Sreshta completed her BS-MS Dual Degree in Mathematics from IISER Bhopal, India, and is now pursuing a PhD in Mathematics. Her research interests are focused on Dynamical Systems and their applications to Neuroscience. In her free time, she loves to read and enjoys going on walks.

Akiva Weinberger
M.A. student
Eric Whyman
Eric Whyman
PhD Student
781-736-3095 Goldsmith 106

Eric graduated from Haverford College with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics, as well as a minor in linguistics. His areas of interest include topology, algebra, and geometric group theory. Outside of math, Eric enjoys listening to music, playing drums, and doing crossword puzzles.

Chengyang Wu
Chengyang Wu
Visiting Research Scientist
781-547-1388 Goldsmith 111

Chengyang is currently a visiting scholar at Brandeis and at the same time a fourth-year PhD student at PKU (Peking University). His research interests include Lie groups and Lie algebras, homogeneous dynamical systems, and Diophantine approximations.