Recent Ph.D. Student Placements

Our Ph.D. students go on to impressive careers in academia, federal agencies and a wide range of industries including pharmaceutical and medical research, technology services and analytics, and banking and finance. Copies of the dissertations can be found here.

Year 2023

• Kevin Michael Daley, Ph.D. 2023, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: Emergent collective dynamics with applications in bridge engineering and social networks
  • First job: National Research Council (NRC) Postdoctoral Fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory, DC.
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh
• Yanli Hao, Ph.D. 2023, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Researches on the coloring of multigraphs
  • First job: Hale Visiting Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Nizamettin Tokar, Ph.D. 2023, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Berge-Fulkerson Conjecture and Mean Subtree Order
  • First job: Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Usak University, Turkey
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Yuke Wang, Ph.D. 2023, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Sample Empirical Likelihood under Complex Survey Design and Bayesian Jackknife Empirical Likelihood-based Inference for Missing Data and Partial AUC
  • First job: Senior Biostatistician, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao

Year 2022

• Tesfaye Asfaw, Ph.D. 2022, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: A Compartmentalized Mathematical Models of Normal and Failing Mouse Cardiac Myocytes
  • First job: Lecturer, Physical Sciences, Perimeter College of GSU, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Vladimir Bondarenko
• Fredrick Dahlgren, Ph.D. 2022, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Signed Graphs with Maximum Nullity at Most Two
  • First job: Research Associate, Quantum and Computer Engineering Department, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Hein van der Holst
• Catrina May, Ph.D. 2022, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Expert Cognition During Proof Construction Using the Principle Of Mathematical Induction
  • First job: Assistant Professor, Mathematics, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Draga Vidakovic
• Brian Pidgeon, Ph.D. 2022, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Jackknife Empirical Likelihood with Applications in the Measurement Error Data
  • First job: Visiting Lecturer, Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Georgia State University.
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao

Year 2021

• Alan Dills, Ph.D. 2021, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Counting Generating Sets in Frobenius Skew Polynomial Rings
  • First job: Assistant Professor, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Florian Enescu
• Shushan He, Ph.D. 2021, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Network Inference, Influence Estimation and Maximization via Neural Mean-Field Dynamics on Diffusion Network
  • First job: Data Scientist II (R&D), CareerBuilder Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Xiaojing Ye
• Weimin Liu, Ph.D. 2021, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Analysis of Risk and Fund Performance
  • First job: Senior Data Scientist, Cruise LLC, San Francisco, CA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Liang Peng and Dr. Gengsheng Qin
• Xuli Qi, Ph.D. 2021, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Extensions of Vizing fans and Vizing's Theorem in graph edge coloring
  • First job: Associate Professor, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Bin Zhang, Ph.D. 2021, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: Modeling Evolution of Intratumor Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Metastasis and in Cancer Drug Resistance
  • First job: Associate Professor, Qinghai University Medical School, Qinghai, China
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yi Jiang

Year 2020

• Kangni Alemdjrodo, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Empirical Likelihood Methods for Two-sample Problems and the Applications in Survival Analysis
  • First job: The Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Statistics at Purdue University
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Barrett Brister, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Phase Clusters and Chimeras in Networks of Kuramoto Oscillators with Inertia
  • First job: Research Data Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh
• Yan Cao, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: A New Approach to the Overfull Conjecture
  • First job: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mathematics, the University of West Virginia
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Hao Chen, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: Integrated Study of Liver Fibrosis: Modeling and Clinical Detection
  • First job: CEO, Jing Kang, Hang Zhou, China
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yi Jiang
• Shanah K. Grant, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: An In-Depth Investigation Of How An Undergraduate Mathematics Major Student Learns The Concept Of Proof
  • First job: Assistant Professor (tenure track), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia
  • Ph.D. advisor: Draga Vidakovic
• Yan Hai, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Estimation Methods for Sensitivity and AUC in Medical Diagnostic Study
  • First job: Data Scientist, Inspire Brand, Atlanta
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin
• Xinjie Hu, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Some Novel Interval Estimation Methods
  • First job: Senior Biostatistician, Novartis
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin
• Irina Ilioaea, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Prime Characteristic Aspects in the Study of Stanley-Reisner Rings and Monomial Ideals
  • First job: Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University at Shreveport
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Florian Enescu
• Elizaveta Latash, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: Math Modeling of Interlimb Coordination in Cat Locomotion
  • First job: Research Associate, Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yaroslav Molkov
• Sara Motlaghain, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Topological properties of J-orthogonal matrices
  • First job: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Trends Center, Georgia State University
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Frank J. Hall
• Faysal Satter, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Empirical Likelihood Inference Procedures for Zero-Inflated and Right Censored Data and Their Applications
  • First job: Data Scientist at Lowe's Companies, Inc., North Carolina.
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Rodrigo Castro López Vaal, Ph.D. 2020, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: A Category-Theoretic Compositional Framework of Perceptron- Based Neural Networks plus an Architecture for Modeling Sequences Conditioned to Time-Structured Context: An Implementation of a Generative Model of Jazz Solo Improvisations
  • First job: Post-doctoral scholar, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Mariana Montiel

Year 2019

• Aureli Akossi, Ph.D. 2019, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Comparison of Various Discretization Algorithms for Stable Estimation of Disease Parameters and Forecasting in Epidemiology
  • First job: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Alexandra Smirnova
• Guangming Jing, Ph.D. 2019, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Density and chromatic index, and minimum ranks of sign pattern matrices
  • First job: Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Augusta University, Georgia, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Zhongshan Li and Dr. Guantao Chen
• Jeremy Kastine, Ph.D. 2019, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Maximally Even Tilings: Theory and Algorithms
  • First job: Assistant Professor, Life University, Marietta, Georgia, USA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Mariana Montiel
• Husneara Rahman, Ph.D. 2019, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Nonparametric Methods in Functional Time Series and Diagnostic Medicine
  • First job: Research Statistician, Biostatistics Unit, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, New York, NY
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Guanhao Wei, Ph.D. 2019, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Statistical Methods for Censored Medical Cost and Breast Cancer Data
  • First job: Data Science Consultant, IQVIA Holdings, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin

Year 2018

• Robin Baidya, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Capacities and Cancellation
  • First job: Lecturer, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yongwei Yao
• Xiuxiu He, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: Integrated Mathematical and Experimental Study of Cell Migration and Shape
  • First job: Postdoc, Emory Medical School (currently postdoc at Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, NY)
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yi Jiang
• Russell Jeter, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: The Stability and Control of Stochastically Switching Dynamical Systems
  • First job: Postdoctoral Fellow in Machine Learning in Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University, Atlanta
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh
• Aubrey Kemp, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Generalizing and transferring mathematical definitions from Euclidean to Taxicab geometry
  • First job: Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, California State University, Bakersfield, CA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Draga Vidakovic
• Shuenn Siang Ng, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Characterizing F-rationality of Cohen-Macaulay Rings via Canonical Modules.
  • First job: Academic Professional, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yongwei Yao
• Benjamin Sirb, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Decentralized Parameter Estimation
  • First job: Senior Data Scientist, Storj Labs, Inc., Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Xiaojing Ye
• Howard Smith, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Bioinformatics
  • Dissertation title: A Computational Study of Biofilm Development and Dispersal
  • First job: Technical Advisor, Insight Data Science, San Francisco
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yi Jiang
• Xue Yu, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Empirical likelihood inferences in survival analysis
  • First job: Data Modeler, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Inc., Alpharetta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Christopher Zagrodny, Ph.D. 2018, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Sign patterns that allow diagonalizability
  • First job: Lecturer, Georgia Gwinnett College
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Zhongshan Li and Dr. Frank Hall

Year 2017

• Linda de Camp, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Regularized Numerical Algorithms For Stable Parameter Estimation In Epidemiology And Implications For Forecasting
  • First job: Lecturer of Mathematics, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Alexandra Smirnova
• Darryl Chamberlain, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Investigating the development of proof comprehensionThe case of proof by contradiction
  • First job: Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Draga Vidakovic
• Wei Gao, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Minimum ranks and refined inertias of sign pattern matrices
  • First job: Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Auburn University, AL
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Jason Li
• Bing Liu, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Bayesian Methods in Brain Connectivity Change Point Detection with EEG Data and Genetic Algorithm
  • First job: Research Scientist, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Jing Zhang
• Paula D. Mullins, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: A mathematical model for beta1-adrenergic regulation of the mouse ventricular myocyte contraction
  • First job: Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of North Georgia
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Vladimir E. Bondarenko
• Reimbay Reimbayev, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Electrical and Chemical Coupling
  • First job: Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Auburn University, Alabama
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh
• Kelvin Rozier, Ph.D. 2017, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: A mathematical model of the combined beta1- and beta2-adrenergic signaling system in the mouse ventricular myocyte
  • First job: Lecturer, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Vladimir E. Bondarenko

Year 2016

• Yueheng An, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Jackknife empirical likelihood method and its applications
  • First job: Data Scientist, BBVA Compass, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Douglas Carter, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Synchronization in hypernetworks of dynamical systems
  • First job: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Morehouse College, Atlanta
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh
• Jenny Jeyarajah, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Constructing Empirical Likelihood Confidence Intervals for Medical Cost Data with Censored Observations
  • First job: Biostatistician, Robarts Clinical Trials, Inc., Canada
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin
• Chenxue Li, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Some Novel Statistical Inferences
  • First job: Quantitative Operations Associate, Bank of America, Charlotte, NC
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin and Dr. Liang Peng
• Mikhail Stroev, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Some results on generalized complementary basic matrices and dense alternating sign matrices
  • First job: Academic Professional, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Frank Hall
• Ping Yang, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Spanning Halin subgraphs involving forbidden subgraphs
  • First job: Research Fellow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Amy Yates, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Intersection of longest paths and predicting performance in facial recognition
  • First job: Research Scientist, National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Chuanyun Zang, Ph.D. 2016, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Matchings and Tilings in Hypergraphs
  • First job: Data Analyst (promoted to data scientist in summer 2017), AT&T, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yi Zhao

Year 2015

• Jie Han, Ph.D. 2015, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Perfect Matchings, Tilings and Hamilton Cycles in Hypergraphs
  • First job: Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yi Zhao
• Hui Liu, Ph.D. 2015, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: On Regularized Newton-type Algorithms and A Posteriori Error Estimates for Solving Ill-posed Inverse Problems
  • First job: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Alexandra Smirnova
• Rachid Marsli, Ph.D. 2015, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Extension of the Gersgorin theory
  • First job: Assistant Professor, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Frank Hall
• Songling Shan, Ph.D. 2015, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Homeomorphically irreducible spanning trees, Halin graphs, and long cycles in 3-connected graphs with bounded maximum degrees
  • First job: Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen

Year 2014

• Annie Burns Childers, Ph.D. 2014, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Calculus students’ understanding of the derivative in relation to the vertex of a quadratic function
  • First job: Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Draga Vidakovic
• Nana Li, Ph.D. 2014, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: The union-closed set conjecture and maximum directed cut in connected digraphs
  • First job: Research Fellow, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen
• Harrison Stalvey, Ph.D. 2014, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: The teaching and learning of paramedics functionsA baseline study
  • First job: Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Draga Vidakovic

Year 2013

• Sara Malec, Ph.D. 2013, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Intersection algebras and pointed rational cones
  • First job: Postdoctoral fellow, The University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Florian Enescu
• Leslie Meadows, Ph.D. 2013, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Iteratively Regularized Methods for Inverse Problems
  • First job: Academic Professional, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Alexandra Smirnova
• Shan Luo, Ph.D. 2013, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: New Nonparametric Methods for Income Distributions
  • First job: Quantitative Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin

Year 2012

• Sajiya Jalil, Ph.D. 2012, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Stability analysis of phase-locked bursting in inhibitory neuron networks
  • First job: Postdoc, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh
• Binhuan Wang, Ph.D. 2012, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Novel Nonparametric Methods for ROC Curves
  • First job: Assistant professor, Department of Population Health, New York University, New York, NY
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin
• Hanfang Yang, Ph.D. 2012, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Jackknife empirical likelihood method and its applications
  • First job: Associate Professor of Statistics, School of Statistics, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Kun Zhao, Ph.D. 2012, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Mathematical methods for network analysis, proteomics, and disease prevention
  • First job: Senior (Permanent) Researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Igor Belykh

Year 2011

• Meng Zhao, Ph.D. 2011, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Treatment Comparison in Biomedical Studies Using Survival Function
  • First job: Post-doctoral fellow, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Yichuan Zhao
• Haochuan Zhou, Ph.D. 2011, Concentration: Biostatistics
  • Dissertation title: Statistical Inferences for the Youden Index
  • First job: Statistician at VISA Company, CA. Currently a senior decision analytic architect at VISA Company, CA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Gengsheng Qin

Year 2009

• Xue Wang, Ph.D. 2009, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Preicting Protein Calcium-binding Sites
  • First job: Post-doc at La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI) in San Diego, CA
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen

Year 2007

• Hai Deng, Ph.D. 2007, Concentration: Mathematics
  • Dissertation title: Identifying calcium-binding sites and predicting disulfide connectivity
  • First job: Missouri State University
  • Ph.D. advisor: Dr. Guantao Chen