Peer Advisors

dsbrasen [at] stanford.edu

About Dean:

Dean is a junior majoring in math and physics and planning to pursue a physics PhD. He has a wide variety of interests in various mathematical fields, but his current interests lie in those with particularly deep connections to physics, including complex analysis and geometry. He has participated in DRPs on complex analysis and analytic number theory as well as worked on research in the field of theoretical physics. With a keen interest in sharing the joy of math with others, he’s also currently a member of SMT, a math tutor, and the academic coordinator for SUMO. Outside of math, Dean enjoys hiking, coffee-making, and building things with his hands.

Ask Dean about:

• planning courses (whether for interests or requirements) and what to actually take away from them afterwards
• how to balance interests of math with other interesting STEM/humanity subjects!
• getting comfortable with math, and overcoming anxieties and fears associated with the subject or courses
• getting involved with SUMO and the math community
• considerations for grad courses (or not!)
• and more!

katcosta [at] stanford.edu

About Kat:

Kat is a senior majoring in math with particular interests in probability and analysis, though she enjoys exploring many areas of the field. She has completed a DRP in mathematical finance, served as financial officer for SUMO, and contributed to tournament development for SMT. Last summer, she worked at a fixed-income fintech firm, where she will return full-time after graduation.

Kat is passionate about making math accessible and engaging for all students. She has tutored learners across grade levels, worked as a grader at Stanford, and is committed to fostering a math education that is both rigorous and joyful, regardless of background.

Outside of academics, Kat is a member of the Stanford cheer team and enjoys spending time with her dog on campus. Looking ahead, she plans to build a career in the financial industry before potentially pursuing graduate study in technical, interdisciplinary research aimed at expanding educational opportunities for under-resourced communities.

Ask Kat about:

• weighing grad school vs. industry paths
• rebuilding confidence after tough math classes and navigating doubts about succeeding as a math major
• balancing academics with extracurriculars
• finding community and getting involved in SUMO or SMT
• starting Stanford with limited math experience
• choosing classes and professors
• and more!

swei27 [at] stanford.edu

About Sophia:

Sophia is a junior majoring in math and has plans to pursue a PhD in math. After taking a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate math classes, she has found her calling in analysis and PDE, especially in problems motivated by physics. She has done both group and individual reading projects through SURIM, and has participated in the DRP program. Sophia is passionate about cultivating a welcoming community in math, and currently serves on the SUMO and SWIMM boards. Besides math, Sophia enjoys being outdoors, playing intramural sports, and crowdsourcing new playlists.  

Ask Sophia about:

• choosing courses
• summer research opportunities at Stanford (or elsewhere!)
• SWIMM (Stanford Women in Math Mentoring) and finding community in the math major
• overcoming anxieties about tough classes
• deciding to go to grad school
• adding math as a double (or triple) major or minor

rawleyh [at] stanford.edu

About Rawley:

Rawley is a senior majoring in math and planning to continue on to a PhD in math. Their interests are primarily in number theory and algebraic geometry. Rawley has done numerous DRPs, done summer directed readings with grad students and professors at Stanford and at home (CU Boulder), participated in two summer research projects (through SURIM), and is currently working on writing a senior thesis in algebraic geometry. Rawley wants to become a professor some day so is also passionate about teaching and discussing math with others and is currently a tutor and academic coordinator for SUMO. Outside of math, they love being outdoors, hiking, camping,and climbing and are a part of the climbing team.

Ask Rawley About:

• applying/deciding whether to go to grad school
• deciding whether to take grad courses
• navigating course selection
• getting involved in math communities (such as SUMO)
• summer research opportunities
• exploring directed readings (both through the DRP program and other methods)
• and more!