Where They’re Headed: Brett Hungar ’21

The math and linguistics double major is pursuing a Ph.D. in theoretical math at Ohio State University starting this fall.

What to do after Haverford if you love teaching and research in math? If you’re Brett Hungar ’21, the answer is: pursue a Ph.D. in theoretical math at Ohio State University.

“So I’ve known for a long time that I like math! And I have also had a longstanding love of teaching and tutoring,” said the math and linguistics double major.  “The summer after my sophomore year, I participated in a math research opportunity and really enjoyed the process of math research. So I knew then that I wanted to go to grad school since I wanted to pursue teaching and research in math.”

Hungar’s area of interest is in homotopy theory and homological algebra. Homotopy theory explores the properties of paths between points, paths between paths, path between paths between paths, and so on. Homological algebra is part of algebraic topology, which uses algebraic objects to study spaces. 

Haverford’s math department not only gave Hungar the foundation to pursue high-level math at OSU, but they also provided guidance and mentorship.

“First, certainly, all the proof-based classes helped me learn what doing math is actually like,” said Hungar. “And the professors—especially Josh Sabloff and Liz Milicevic—have been there every step of the way, helping me learn new math concepts, find out what types of math I’m interested in pursuing, and throughout the grad school application process.”

The department, along with the Office of Academic Resources, also offered Hungar the opportunity to teach and tutor math—experience that will prove essential as a teaching graduate student next year.

“Where They’re Headed” is a blog series chronicling the post-collegiate plans of recent Haverford graduates.