Irina Kalashnikova, PhD '11

TELL US WHAT YOU'RE UP TO NOW (WORK, RESEARCH, HOBBIES, OTHER)

I have been a senior member of technical staff at Sandia national lab in Albuquerque, NM since October 2011.  I am part of the computational mathematics department at Sandia.  I have had the pleasure to work on a number of interesting projects, from model reduction to quantum computing to computational modeling of land ice for the prediction of sea level rise.  I spend my free time hiking (New Mexico is a great place for that!) and traveling.  I also enjoy photography, which these two hobbies enable.  

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ICME?

When I was applying to graduate schools, I was really not sure what it was I wanted to study. Having come from a pure math background, I knew I wanted to apply my knowledge of mathematics to problems of interest in today’s world.  Hence I looked at interdisciplinary programs like ICME that would enable me to explore various application areas.  I knew ICME was the place for me when I visited as a prospective student during the process of choosing my graduate program.  What impressed me the most – and what continues to impress me today – was the wide range of interdisciplinary research taking place at ICME, and the genuine enthusiasm that the students and faculty expressed towards their work, the program, and Stanford university.  

WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE YEAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATING?

I took some time off to travel to South America.  Then I relocated to Albuquerque and started my current position at Sandia National Lab.

HOW DID YOUR EDUCATION AT ICME PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING TODAY?

My ICME coursework and research provided a great foundation in computational mathematics, numerical methods, and scientific computing.  I use the knowledge that I gained at ICME every day in my current position at Sandia.    

WHEN YOU REFLECT BACK ON YOUR TIME AT ICME, WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST FONDLY?

Learning with and from my ICME classmates in the office we shared in Durand, back in the pre-engineering quad days.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE, WHERE DO YOU ENVISION ICME STUDENTS FIT IN? 

As cutting-edge researchers and computational scientists in a growing set of fields that require mathematical modeling.  

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR TODAY'S ICME STUDENTS?

Take advantage of the variety of resources Stanford has to offer: talk to and get to know your classmates and faculty, take courses outside your comfort zone, attend seminars, and get involved!

ICME Program: PhD '11

Hometown: Moscow, Russia and Detroit, Michigan

Profession: Senior Member of Techinal Staff, Computational Mathematics Department at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Recipient of NDSEG and NPSC fellowships (during Ph.D.)

Recipient of Robert J. Medal for the best student paper in finite element analysis (2008)