I can't imagine studying for my PhD anywhere other than SAMBa; I needed to learn mathematical tools that I didn't even know existed when I arrived, and SAMBa was the perfect environment, filled with clever, supportive people, in which to do just that.
Before joining SAMBa I was an undergraduate in mathematics at the University of Bath
My research concerned waves moving in random materials – I studied the differential equation governing these waves, proved properties of its solution, and developed and analysed a new methods for accelerating the numerical solution of this equation.
I also attended some great international conferences, in the USA, Chile, and Austria! Back at SAMBa I helped organise our student-led symposium, and was part of team that organised a national postgraduate conference with over 100 attendees!
After completing my PhD, I changed direction, and I’m training at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, to be a Church of England minister.
As a theology student, I need to think clearly about complex topics – something I had lots of training for in SAMBa! And had lots of opportunities to give talks about my research, which have honed my skills in presenting those complex topics to other people.
I can’t imagine studying for my PhD anywhere other than SAMBa; I needed to learn mathematical tools that I didn’t even know existed when I arrived, and SAMBa was the perfect environment, filled with clever, supportive people, in which to do just that.
The SAMBa team understands how to efficiently bridge the gap between the abstract world of mathematics and statistics to industrial research
(My supervisors) encouraged me to take my own research direction, guided by my interests, and to be involved in the wider community, presenting at and attending a wide range of national and international conferences
Being a part of SAMBa was a great way to broaden my research interests and to apply this knowledge to cross-displinary problems
I found the one-on-one reading courses an incredible opportunity to both learn about a topic in detail, and to get to know a potential area and supervisor before starting my PhD
I really valued the experience of being part of a cohort of students in SAMBa, which guaranteed that we were not doing our PhDs in isolation, despite working intensively on independent projects
I was able to use the SAMBa training in statistics, to support training workshops in Mexico and in fact took a break from my PhD to take on a statistics teaching assistant role.
Being part of SAMBa is like being part of a little community: everyone is super supportive and there is always someone to talk to if you need it (usually with cake!).
Shortly after joining SAMBa I broke my neck in a bicycle accident. But thanks to the support from the amazing team, I was still able to make a success of my PhD. The SAMBa environment surrounds you with wonderful people and fantastic opportunities.
I enjoyed the big portfolio of opportunities I was given, which I believe is an essential property of SAMBa and something which truly makes the programme worth it
My experience in SAMBa shaped me as a versatile researcher with the ability to use maths to make an impact.
