Meet Lillian McPherson

Tell us a bit about your background: I grew up in Southeastern Michigan and attended the University of Michigan, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. For most of my undergraduate years, I did not know what I wanted to do after graduating. I was able to participate in an REU at the University of Michigan during the summer of 2021. This was my first experience with research in mathematics, and it started my journey of applying to graduate school. I am also passionate about teaching, especially with the goals of creating a welcoming environment for students with different backgrounds and experiences.

Describe your area of research at UC San Diego: I am working in algebraic geometry with Elham Izadi.

Describe your community involvement at UC San Diego: I am currently the President of the Student Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics at UC San Diego. I believe it is important to create a sense of community within the graduate student population, so I got involved with AWM to work towards that goal. I have been living in graduate and family housing since moving to San Diego. I love that the San Diego area has lots to do in nature. Since moving here, I have begun hiking and birding in the area.

Why UC San Diego? I attended an in-person open house at UC San Diego in the spring of 2022. I felt a sense of community in the graduate students of the math department that made UC San Diego stand out to me.

Have you been awarded any fellowships or grants during graduate school? If so, which ones? I have been awarded the Alfred P. Sloan scholarship.