Mathematics and Statistics Peer Advising

Peer advising is available to Math & Stat majors in rooms 1625A and 1625B in the Lederle Graduate Research Tower, as well as remotely via zoom. In-person options can be by appointment or drop-in, and remote options are by appointment. Schedule an appointment using Navigate.

All peer advisors can help with basic questions, for example, the requirements of the different Math & Stat concentrations, using Spire, GenEds, etc. They can also discuss their experiences with courses, internships, applications, and other activities. However, questions on more advanced courses in Math & Stat may be better directed to the advising office or a faculty advisor.

We invite undergraduates to meet with Peer Advisors who have experience in their areas of interest. The weekly schedule is below, as well as more info on the peer advisors.

Spring 2024 Peer Advising Hours

Peer Advisors

	Grace Fagundes Hello! My name is Grace and I am a senior math major with a teaching concentration as well as a minor in education. I am also a student in the Honors College and am currently in the process of writing my senior thesis! In Amherst, I work at an after school program for kids grades K-6, and over the past two summers I have had internships in Providence teaching sixth graders both math and engineering. I also recently passed the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL exam needed to become any level of teacher in Massachusetts and would be happy to provide any insights on it! Last semester, I studied abroad at the University of Alicante in southern Spain, and had an amazing time, so I would also love to chat about studying math abroad! Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
	Sabrina Nguyen Hello! My name is Sabrina Nguyen and I'm a junior pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science and Mathematics with a concentration in Mathematical Computing. I plan on pursuing a software development or software engineering career after college, but my dream is to become a video game developer one day! I'm also an undergraduate teaching assistant (UGTA) for the Math and Stats Department and have been TA-ing for the past year! I am planning on interning at Liberty Mutual as part of their TechStart Internship Program this upcoming Summer and would love to advise students on how to get started on the internship search and process. Aside from academics, I'm currently the Vice President for the UMass Chapter of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) where we aim to help Asian heritage scientists and engineers reach their full professional potential and I also perform the Chinese yoyo with UMass TASC. I also love listening to K-Pop, playing video games, and hanging out with my friends! Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have, academic related or not!
	Corey Smith My name is Corey, a senior Math major concentrating in Statistics in Data Science at UMass. I began my journey at UMass as a Social Science major, but I discovered my love for statistics and made the switch; excited to explore the power of data. Along the way, I co-founded the UMass Data Science club, played the role of Product Manager for BUILD UMass, and worked as an Undergraduate Researcher for the Biology Department. Outside of the classroom, I've completed three internships and recently accepted an offer to work as an Operations Research Analyst for the U.S. Space Command when I graduate. I'm looking forward to being a peer advisor this year and hope to provide helpful insight from my time at UMass; both in and out of the classroom. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
	Olivia Sousa My name is Olivia Sousa, and I am a Senior double majoring in Mathematics and Economics with a concentration in statistics & data science. I am the Director of Operations for Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) which is the actuarial club on campus. This past summer, I got the opportunity to intern at the Life Science Laboratories (LSL) where I got to research and construct mathematical models for enzymatic degradation of biofilms. As a peer advisor, I hope to provide students with helpful information about the math major and share experiences from my time at UMass. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to learn more about GIS and/or the LSL internship as well as any questions you may have! :)
	Xi Zheng Hi! My name is Xi (pronounced as “C”) and I am a junior Mathematics major concentrating in Actuarial Science. The reason I chose Actuarial Science is that I found finance and economy interesting too, and the Actuarial field mixes Math and finance well. Currently, I am preparing for my FM actuarial exam in December. Outside of classes, I teach elementary and middle school kids Math online. Last summer, I interned at Chinatown Community Land Trust on community initiatives and community land control. Therefore I also chose Business and Sustainable Community as my minors to complement my Math study while learning something that I had worked on. In my free time, I am into fitness and music to inspire my artsy side of me. If you have any questions about being an Actuary or internship experience, feel free to reach out!