Faculty and Graduate Students

Hi, my name is Nickolas Arustamyan. I am a first year PhD student in mathematics at UCF and am working under Dr. Carlos Borges. I have a few years of tutoring and TA experience so I am excited to help everyone master their classes and feel confident with math.

Hello, my name is Brayden Nicklus and I am a sophomore in the mechanical engineering program. During my first year at UCF, I found an enjoyment in programming, so I plan on also pursuing a minor in Computer Science. In my off time, I enjoy cooking and playing some video games with friends.

Parker is a second year PhD student here at UCF. He attended UCF for his undergraduate studies as well, receiving a B.S. in mathematics and a B.S. in Physics. During his time here he has helped teach a variety of mathematics courses from Algebra and Trigonometry to Calculus and Differential Equations. He has a passion…

Kristin received her B.S in Mathematics and her M.S. in Cyber Security from Liberty University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Mathematics, and her research interests pertain to the intersection between Mathematics and Cyber Security.

Mackenzie Cates earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2022. She is pursuing a M.A. degree in Elementary Education and graduating in December! She plans on being an elementary school teacher upon graduation. This is her second year working with EXCEL.

Jingxi Liao is a PhD student at University of Central Florida. His major is mathematics with financial math track.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science at University of Connecticut and master’s degree in statistics at Columbia University. His research interest is in actuarial mathematics.

Matthew Kyle is a fourth-year student in the Mathematics PhD program. Although working with EXCEL for the first time, he has been a graduate teaching assistant in calculus and differential equations for years. His main research interests are graph theory, number theory, and bioinformatics.

Alexa achieved a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida in 2023 and is now in her first year of graduate school pursuing a M.S. in Mathematical Science on the Financial Mathematics track. During her undergraduate studies, she worked in the Mathematics Assistance and Learning Lab as a learning assistant where her passion for helping…

Earned Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Minor in Computer Science at UCF, now First-year graduate student majoring in Mathematics.

Elijah Cadenhead obtained a B.S. in Mathematics at UF and M.S. at UCF. This will be his third year as a Ph.D. student and his first year in the EXCEL program. His research interests are deep learning and analysis. He was born and raised in Saint Augustine, Florida.

I got my Bachelor’s in Physics / Applied Mathematics (double major) in 2019 from Florida Institute of Technology, and I’m currently a PhD student in mathematics at UCF.

Xuyan earned her M.S in Financial Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. She is in the Mathematical Ph.D. program ( Financial Math Track) of UCF. Her research interest lies in  Stochastic Control and Mathematical Finance problems.

Killian had received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Chemistry from Nova Southeastern University in 2021. He is currently a first year Ph.D. student in the university’s Mathematics Department. While pursuant in the field of applied mathematics, he expresses interest and active training in physical sciences. His research interests lie…

Hanna Reed is an Instructor of Mathematics. After receiving her BS in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida, Hanna became a mathematics teacher for Volusia County. She then earned a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida in 2021 and shortly thereafter became a Mathematics Instructor for Bethune-Cookman University, where she…

Dr. Sohn is an UCF Pegasus Professor and Lockheed Martin Professor of Engineering in Department of Materials Science and Engineering at University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL). He also serves as an Associate Director for Materials Characterization Facility, a FL-state user facility for academics and industry with over $20M in analytical instrumentation and 3 full-time…

Bill Self is an Associate Professor in the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and also serves as the Associate Director of undergraduate education. Bill received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with high honors from the University of Florida in 1993, followed by his Ph.D. in 1998 in which he studied the role of molybdenum…

Dr. Zaurin is a lecturer in the department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at UCF.  His research interests include Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of fixed and movable bridges, damage detection and identification, condition assessment, numerical simulations, and non-destructive evaluation of existing structures, design and implementation of smart structures, engineering education,  active learning, and high impact…

Dr. Qipeng Phil Zheng is an Associate Professor and the graduate coordinator in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, and the director or Applied Operations Research Lab at University of Central Florida. He is also the Editor-In-Chief of Energy Systems, a Spring Nature journal. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering…