![Picture of Madison](/future-graduate-students/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/uploads/images/madison.jpg?itok=zBc8sVAQ)
Being a PhD student can sometimes feel disconnected from reality, and you start to question how useful your research is. For Madison Van Dyk, a second-year Combinatorics and Optimization PhD student from the Faculty of Mathematics, the research is fully grounded and relevant. Her research finds practical application for one of the largest companies in the world, Amazon, testing algorithms and improving delivery networks. "The skills are employable, and that's across the board for Waterloo Math. A lot of the skills we learn are not only hireable, but if you find the right place, you can apply your research directly."
What is #GRADimpact?
#GRADimpact showcases the stories of our graduate students who are making an impact in their fields of study, communities, workplaces and the world.