April 27 - Freshman Invited to Prestigious Mathematics Institute Summer Program

Rob Price, biology/mathematics major

Rob Price is a curious, smart, focused and enthusiastic young man – a young man who is fully taking advantage of the opportunities Rider is offering him although he is just completing his freshman year.

When he learned of the opportunity to apply for the prestigious Park City Mathematics Institute (PCMI) three-week undergraduate program in mathematical biology beginning in late June, Price did so.  He recently received notification of acceptance and now has the golden opportunity to satisfy his academic appetite further.

Located in Park City, Utah, PCMI is an outreach program of the Institute for Advanced Study and provides mathematics educators, researchers and students an intensive mathematical experience geared to their individual needs.

At the annual PCMI summer session, high school teachers, mathematics education researchers, undergraduate college faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students and mathematics researchers meet simultaneously, pursuing both individual courses of study and a meaningful amount of interaction.

“When I enrolled at Rider, it was just to major in biology,” said Price, a graduate of Lawrence High School. “I thought Rider had a strong biology program.  I talked to the professors, liked the small class sizes, and felt Rider was a good place for me.

“However, I had a Calculus I class with Dr. (Anthony) Bahri,” Price added. “I became very interested in the theoretical aspects of the course. That’s when I decided to add mathematics as a second major.  Math has been a hobby of mine for years. I enjoy the challenge of solving a tricky problem. In higher math you can get some beautiful results, and that is what inspires you.  But I’m still just learning the tools. I feel privileged to be invited to the Park City Mathematics Institute.”

Dr. Bahri, one of his advisors (Dr. Laura Hyatt of the biology faculty is his other adviser.) rates Price “certainly among the very finest students I have taught ever.  Undaunted by complexity, he is quick to grasp the importance of key ideas.

“He has a keen interest in mathematical biology, a field which is expanding rapidly,” Dr. Bahri said. “The application of the theory of differential equations to the study of population growth, the spread of disease, cancer modeling and predator-prey analysis has a long history. These days, however, it’s much more abstract mathematics including topology, knot theory and algebraic geometry that is finding ever fruitful application to the study of DNA and protein folding. Robert is poised to benefit greatly from the summer program for undergraduates at PCMI.”

His attendance at PCMI should be the capstone of his first year of study at Rider. But Price is taking full advantage of available opportunities.  He is conducting an independent research project on spiny mice under the supervision of Dr. Todd Weber, assistant professor of biology.

“Spiny mice tend to do back flips, and I’m studying why they do that and whether it may be anxiety related,” Price noted.  “It is quantifiable, and you can tell how many times they flip.”

If that is not enough, Price, a Dean’s List student, also participates in Rider’s Baccalaureate Honors Program.  For many students, this list of achievements could represent an entire collegiate career. For Rob Price, it’s just one complete year.