Danika Lindsay
Danika Lindsay (2012 B.S. Mathematics and Applied Physics) was always drawn to mathematics. At CI, she discovered a math lover's paradise.
“If you are looking to be a math major, CI is the place to do it,” said the 2012 graduate. “The faculty are incredible and there are so many opportunities available for students in the program that would be unheard of at larger universities.”
Beginning in her freshman year, Lindsay worked with professors and fellow students on research projects, applying mathematics to solve real-world problems. In one project, she tackled the concept of creating a bike loan program at CI using stochastic modeling. In another, her team worked to build a strawberry-picking robot and won a prestigious international award for finding an algorithm determining the location of a strawberry's stem. She also participated in research involving the propagation of forest fires and the properties of folding proteins in water. Lindsay was able to travel nationally and internationally to conferences to present her research. She graduated with a double-major in Mathematics and Applied Physics and a minor in Computer Science.
“One thing that is very unique about CI is the individual attention you receive as a student from professors and mentors,” she said. “You learn so much more when you can really form that personal connection with your professors and they truly take an interest in your individual education.”
Today, Lindsay is looking forward to educating future generations of mathematicians. She's a graduate student in the mathematics Ph.D. program at University of Minnesota, and a graduate research fellow funded by the National Science Foundation. It's another achievement that she says would not have been possible without CI's math professors, who encouraged and guided her through the application process.
“CI truly helped make me the person I am today,” she said. “I hope to become a professor at a small university where I can teach and inspire college students the same way I was inspired by my professors at CI.”