David Gleich, Student
CS/Math, Harvey Mudd
Why I Chose Stanford
I chose Stanford and iCME because of the breadth of research and
opportunity they offered. All the other graduate programs I examined
focused on one particular field or application. In the iCME, I saw
the potential to work in many different fields guided by the
expertise of the iCME faculty.
Besides, iCME has Gene Golub on the faculty. Who wouldn't want the chance to work with someone like Gene?
My Background
I completed a B.S. in computer science and mathematics from Harvey
Mudd College. Rather than a double major, Harvey Mudd designed a
program to integrate both degrees. I guess you could say I've always
been interested in combining computation with mathematics.
I also interned at Yahoo! Research Labs where I had the opportunity to experiment on a series of extremely large datasets using numerical linear algebra software.
What Do You Work On
Usually, I try and avoid this question because I don't like
classifying my research. I really like to work on interesting
problems where I believe I can make a contribution! Most often, my
contributions are towards algorithms for large scale numerical linear
algebra computations. The way I view it, I just like playing with
large matrices and my work is an extension of that "play."
What's Great About Studying Here
The other students. They are all smarter, faster, and better looking
than me. I consider it a good thing if I understand half of what
comes out of their mouth.
What Advice Would You Give Prospective Students
Come to iCME with an open mind. Try working on problems and taking
classes in areas that are unfamiliar.
What I Hope To Do After Graduation
By 30, I hope to have revolutionized my field; by 40, awarded some
significant academic prize; and by 50, I want to go back to graduate
school and do it all over again. More seriously, I hope to continue
working on interesting problems after I graduate and share my
interest in these problems with anyone who will listen.