Why did you choose Waterloo?
I have always enjoyed logical reasoning and puzzles, and hence greatly enjoyed mathematics throughout high school. When I got to university for undergrad and experienced math in all its different facets, I learned that the math I had seen in high school was actually the math I liked the least! Instead, I found that I absolutely loved discrete mathematics, and have been specializing in that ever since. Nowadays, I work in structural graph theory, the mathematics behind the structure of networks.
Going international for grad studies was important to me to get to know a different place and culture (I’m from the Netherlands, so adapting to Canadian city infrastructure and daily life took some time). I chose to come to Waterloo because of the reputation of the department for being at the forefront of this type of mathematics. The concentration of professors here in this area means that I get to take a lot of courses in my specific niche, and always have an expert in anything I’m working on nearby. I’m still very happy with my choice! The thing that makes Waterloo such an amazing place to study is the people; both those within the department as in and around the university as a whole.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I generally like to start the day with a meeting, to ensure that I make it to campus early. Some days this will be a research meeting with my supervisor, Sophie Spirkl, and a few fellow grad students. Other days, it can be a quick meeting with another student to discuss some homework problem we’re struggling with.
Around noon, there’s a welcome break in the form of lunch. A large group of grad students has lunch together every day, resulting in easily an hour (and sometimes more) of fun and often ridiculous conversations. The rest of my workday is filled with more research, TA work, reading groups, seminars, and classes.
Most days of the week, I have a fencing practice at the end of the afternoon – more on that in a moment! On the unfortunate days that I don’t get to fence, I stay a little longer to get some work done. I like to wind down at home by making dinner and watching a series, or by spending the night with friends.
What do you do for fun?
My main hobby and recreative passion is the sport of fencing! For those in the know, specifically fencing foil! Having started when I was 10 years old, I am now on the university’s varsity team. The fencing community at the university is very welcoming and positive: every practice and event is a blast! With the team, we travel to tournaments to compete against the other universities. We’re training hard to be able to challenge the Toronto’s Varsity Blues for the banner at the Ontario University Athletics Championships, which they have won for the last seven years straight.
I also really enjoy hiking and backpacking, whether it is a short day hike with friends close to Waterloo, or a long multi-week backpacking trip in the wilderness. There is nothing quite like being out in nature and crushing miles. One item that has been on my bucket list for a while is to hike Norge på langs, trekking 3000 kilometres from the southernmost point of Norway to the northernmost point. I hope to scratch that off right after my PhD.
Also, if you ever want to play a few rounds of the card game Set, I can never say no!
Do you have any advice for incoming graduate students?
We have an amazingly collegial and supportive atmosphere within our department. It makes it a great place to work and study, while also having tons of fun! I’d highly encourage incoming students to join their department’s activities (even simple things like lunch), and see if you can convince some fellow students to form an intramural sports team!