I study mathematics, specializing in Combinatorics and Number Theory. I am the STEM Advisor to the Provost and the Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics. I am also a College Faculty Fellow, a Fellow of the Shannon Center for Advanced Studies, Professor by Courtesy of Data Science, and Professor Affiliate in Statistics. I host the podcast HOOS in STEM. I am an Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (Guwahati) and also the Mathematical Sciences Institute Belgavi in Karnataka, India (near Goa). I am honored to be a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, and an Honorary Fellow of the India Academy of Sciences.
I am involved in mentoring students of all ages. At the undergraduate level, I have been running REU programs since 1998. I have mentored 2 Breakthrough Mirzakhani Prize winners, 9 Morgan Prize winners, 8 Schafer Prize winners, and 2 Rhodes Scholars. I have advised 34 Ph.D. students and 17 postdocs. Outside the traditional university setting, I am the Founder and Director of the Spirit of Ramanujan Global STEM Talent Search that supports emerging engineers, mathematicians, and scientists who lack traditional institutional support through financial grants. To date we have made awards to 125 budding scientists from 23 countries around the world.
My service has included leadership roles in various professional societies, such as Vice President of the American Mathematical Society, Chair of the Mathematics Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, member of the U.S. National Committee for Mathematics at the National Academy of Sciences, member of the advisory board of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, Chairman of the UVa Department of Mathematics, and U.S. delegate to the General Assembly of the International Mathematics Union. I am presently the Vice President of the Association of the Members of the Institute for Advanced Study board of trustees and a member of the National Security Agency Advisory Board.
I have a footprint in film and sports. I was an Associate Producer of the film The Man Who Knew Infinity, which starred Dev Patel (Ramanujan) and Jeremy Irons (G. H. Hardy). I am a member of the board of the Infinity Arts Foundation. Building on my lifelong interest in Olympic sports, I am a technical consultant for elite swimmers, having advised multiple NCAA national champions, Olympic medalists, and world champions.
I spend my spare time outdoors with my family. I enjoy surfing, SCUBA diving, cycling, running, and swimming. I was formerly a member of the Timex-Trek Factory Triathlon Team (2014-2018), and I have represented Team USA in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 ITU World Cross Triathlon Championship. In the 1980s I raced bicycles.